The New York Giants went 3-14 this season, and many people were surprised by owner John Mara’s decision to retain general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll for a fourth season.
Apparently, several Giants players were also “surprised” that the team kept Daboll, according to a report from ESPN.
While several players were “surprised” that Daboll came out, some said they were fine with it because Daboll is a player-friendly coach.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, left, walks off the field after the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Jan. 5, 2025. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
The players said the Giants head coach was open to feedback and incorporates a schedule that “hardly wears them down,” according to the report.
The report also said the players like Daboll as a person, but see signs that his program is not “destined for success.”
Daboll’s tenure couldn’t have gotten off to a better start, going 9-7-1 in his first season, winning a playoff game over the Minnesota Vikings and being named Coach of the Year.
Since then it’s all been downhill.
The Giants went 6-11 in 2023, making what people thought was a make-or-break season for the coach and general manager.
GIANTS LEGEND ELI MANNING BACKS TEAM’S DECISION TO STAND BY BRIAN DABOLL, JOE SCHOEN DESPITE SORRY SEASON
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll reacts to a call during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders in Landover, Maryland, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Instead of improving, they went further in the other direction, going 3-14 in what should have been a celebratory 100th season for the franchise.
It was a season that included fans flying banners with messages directed at ownership, benching starting quarterback Daniel Jones and cutting him days later.
Despite all this, Schoen and Daboll get another chance to right the ship.
One of the major problems this season was a lack of communication between coaches and players, according to the report.
Some players spoke of “being misled and left dangling in the wind about issues, including their roles changing or snaps dwindling, without adequate explanation.”
New York Giants co-owner John Mara, left, and New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen talk with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, right, at MetLife Stadium before their team hosts the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. (Kevin R. Wexler/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The biggest question facing Schoen and Daboll next season is solving the quarterback position.
The team has the third pick in the NFL Draft, behind the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, and may not have a chance to select the top two quarterbacks of the year in Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.
Regardless of who quarterbacks the Giants next season, both Daboll and Schoen enter next season on the hot seat with a lot of pressure to win from a starved fan base and restless ownership.
