It doesn’t sound like John Mara is applying any added pressure to NY Giants GM Dave Gettleman, despite only winning 15 games over the past three years
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — NY Giants owner John Mara had a clear message for the power brokers in the organization that has won just 15 games over the past four seasons.
“We’re all on the hot-seat,” Mara said, during his first in-person press conference since January, 2020.
However, it sounds as though Giants general manager Dave Gettleman shouldn’t be feeling the heat. At least not publicly.
“Let’s see what happens,” Mara said of Gettleman. “Let’s see what happens this season. Let’s see what kind of progress we’ve made, see if we’ve won some games.
Mara’s NY Giants have not made the postseason since 2018, and have not won a playoff game since the confetti fell following Super Bowl XLVI in February, 2012. Still, Mara is not issuing a mandate for Gettleman to save his job in 2022 and beyond.
"“I don’t think I need to say or do anything to motivate the people in this building,” Mara says. “They’re already motivated. I want to be able to walk off the field after the last game, whenever that is, I want to feel like ‘do we have a chance to win a Super Bowl with this group?’ are we moving in that direction? If the answer is this, there obviously won’t be any changes. If the answer is no, that’s another discussion.”"
What will progress look like for Dave Gettleman and the NY Giants?
Despite the fact that the NY Giants have picked in the top-15 in each of his first three drafts as general manager, and failed to win a division that sent the 7-9 Washington Football Team to the postseason last year, Gettleman shares Mara’s optimism.
"“Really and truly my goal when I got here was that whenever I leave here, that we’d set this team up, both on the field and off the field,” Gettleman said. “I feel like we have done that. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen.”"
If those wins don’t come? It could be a conversation changer.
“I do feel like we’re moving in the right direction,” Mara says.
That direction just might dictate how long until Gettleman’s seat goes from cool to inferno red, or the red button is pushed on a new general manager for the historically patient franchise.
Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com