John Mara’s loyalty to Daboll and Schoen is fueling the Giants’ downfall

It's time for John Mara to clean house.

Nov 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants owner John Mara, left, and New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen on the field before the game between the Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Nov 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants owner John Mara, left, and New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen on the field before the game between the Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

At 2-13 and riding a humiliating 10-game losing streak, the New York Giants are the NFL’s punching bag. Most franchises would see this level of dysfunction as a flashing neon sign to blow it all up. But not John Mara.

Instead, the Giants’ owner seems intent on keeping head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen for another year, doubling down on a duo that has overseen one of the worst stretches in team history.

This isn’t patience—it’s paralysis. Mara’s decision to stick with Daboll and Schoen feels less like a bold act of faith and more like an inability to admit failure. The Giants haven’t just been bad; they’ve been unwatchable. The offense is lifeless, the defense looks checked out, and the team’s discipline has evaporated. Keeping the same leadership in place after a season like this isn’t stability—it’s stubbornness.

Under normal circumstances, this level of incompetence would trigger sweeping changes at the top, whether it’s the head coach, the general manager, or both. However, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer, Mara might be leaning toward keeping both Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen in their roles.

John Mara’s blind loyalty to Daboll and Schoen is driving the Giants deeper into chaos

Loyalty to Daboll and Schoen might be setting this franchise back even further. Daboll’s first season was impressive—Coach of the Year honors and a playoff win—but that feels like ancient history now.

Since then, his game plans have been stale, his in-game decisions questionable, and his ability to lead a locker room non-existent. This team has been getting blown out week in and week out and is riding a franchise-record 10-game losing streak. Discipline? Gone. Fight? Nowhere to be found.

And Schoen? Sure, he’s hit on a few draft picks like Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Malik Nabers. But he also handed Daniel Jones a $160 million extension, drafted Evan Neal with a top-10 pick, and let Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney leave in free agency. Now, the Giants are limping into the offseason with no identity, no direction, and no reason for fans to trust the people in charge.

By keeping Daboll and Schoen, Mara is tying the future of this franchise to a duo that has shown no signs of being able to fix the mess they’ve created. Worse, he’s handing them control of what’s likely to be the No. 1 overall pick—a pick that will define the next decade of Giants football. If they whiff on that, the hole this team is in could get even deeper.

The NFL is a results-driven league, and the Giants aren’t getting results.

Loyalty might sound noble, but at some point, it becomes a liability. By clinging to Daboll and Schoen, Mara isn’t giving the Giants a chance to rebuild—he’s prolonging their collapse. Fans deserve better. The franchise deserves better. But until Mara wakes up, this team is stuck in reverse.

More New York Giants news and analysis

Schedule