Brian Daboll remains the most curious and interesting case study of his employment in East Rutherford. Do the New York Giants care more about winning right now or the development of their first-round rookie quarterback?
If Thursday night under the primetime lights showed fans anything, why can’t Big Blue have both? Dabs is a card-carrying member of the Toasty Buns club — the fourth-year head coach’s seat has been hot since he took Coach of the Year honors in 2022. It’s been all downhill since, but after trading back into the first round and finally selecting the quarterback he had hand-picked, the narrative could be turning around for the 50-year-old.
Another head coach whose story is shifting is Bill Belichick. The 73-year-old is in hot water down in Chapel Hill at the University of North Carolina. A spat with owner Robert Kraft and the Atlanta Falcons’ head coaching position ripped out from underneath him, thanks to Kraft, and Bill took his six-Super-Bowl-sized grudge with him. The last time football fans saw Darth Hoodie on an NFL sideline, the Patriots were 4-13.
Just five games into his tenure at UNC, it’s already been a disaster. There are already talks of him discussing buyout options to get out of the Tar Heel state, which could’ve inevitably led to Belichick-to-East Rutherford rumors. Fortunately for Daboll, the G-Men’s 34-17 evisceration of the Philadelphia Eagles might’ve put those whispers to bed before they even started.
Gutsy Brian Daboll win might've saved him from Bill Belichick-sized shadow
Things are going from bad to this-is-the-worst for Belichick real quick.
UNC is spiraling, and Belichick’s name is front and center. Per Ollie Connolly (aggregated by Nate Gilbert), the school is knee-deep in a recruiting violations mess, with internal sources confirming violations have already been proven. Belichick’s communication with his staff has reportedly gone cold, described as “weird” and “distant,” with multiple coaches unable to even reach him during the bye week. The kicker? One UNC assistant flat-out said, “What we’ve done to these kids is f***** up.”
it’s not hyperbole to say that the UNC Bill Belichick thing is one of the all-time train wrecks in the history of sports pic.twitter.com/oNUTJY7ARl
— Nate Gilbert (@NateGilbert) October 8, 2025
If Daboll was ever going to be replaced, you can bet the long-time Pats' head coach would be the guy people would’ve circled. Not a chance now.
Additionally, Dart looked rock solid in his third-career start. He finished the night with 195 passing yards, 58 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns (one passing and one rushing). No one gave the 22-year-old a fighting chance against Philly, but the Dabs-Dart duo is looking like it could really be something. That's another massive win for Dabs' job security.
The NFL moves fast, and job security moves faster. A week ago, Daboll looked like a dead man walking. Now, he’s the coach with a quarterback and a locker room that might actually believe.
Belichick’s collapse at UNC only sharpens the contrast — the grass isn’t greener, it’s scorched. With Dart looking like the future and the G-Men leveling up, the noise around Daboll has quieted... for now. If he keeps stacking wins, he's got a great chance to see this thing through.