Giants’ locker room mutiny could seal Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll’s fate

The New York Giants' 2024 season has gone off the rails spectacularly, and the fallout isn’t just confined to the field. After another dismal performance in Week 12, a 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s obvious the problems within the Giants organization go far deeper than missed tackles or failed red zone opportunities.

The tension in the locker room has reached a boiling point. Frustrations are no longer whispered behind closed doors but are instead spilling out into the media.

From Malik Nabers’ biting comments about the coaching staff to Dexter Lawrence bluntly accusing the team of playing “soft,” the cracks in the foundation are growing wider by the week. It’s becoming increasingly clear the leadership duo of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll is losing the trust of their players, and with it, their ability to lead the Giants out of this mess.

The New York Giants are facing a growing locker-room crisis

The signs of a fractured locker room have been evident all season, but the events of the past week have taken things to a new low. Malik Nabers, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disastrous season, made headlines after calling out head coach Brian Daboll. When asked why he didn’t record a catch until the second half against Tampa Bay, Nabers replied, “Talk to Dabs about that.” He added, “I started getting the ball when it’s 30-0. What do you want me to do?”

This kind of public frustration is rare for a rookie, but it speaks to the dysfunction within the organization. Nabers’ comments echo a broader sentiment among players who feel disillusioned with the direction, or lack thereof, the team is heading. Defensive captain Dexter Lawrence didn’t mince words after the loss either, describing the team’s performance as a beatdown and accusing them of playing without heart.

Even quarterback Drew Lock, stuck in limbo as Tommy DeVito’s backup, has subtly expressed his confusion about the team’s decisions. “That’s a question I might still have for myself,” Lock said earlier in the week when asked about the quarterback pecking order. The common thread? A lack of clarity, accountability, and direction from the top.

Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are in their third year of a supposed rebuild, but the progress fans hoped for after a surprising playoff run in 2022 has been completely undone. Schoen’s personnel decisions (most notably the ill-fated $160 million contract extension for Daniel Jones) have backfired spectacularly.

Meanwhile, Daboll’s once-lauded coaching acumen is now under scrutiny as his decisions on game day seem increasingly disconnected from reality.

The move to release Jones and start Tommy DeVito was framed as a forward-looking decision, but it feels more like a calculated effort to tank for a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This might make sense from a long-term perspective, but it has left the locker room demoralized and divided. Players want to win now, and when they see leadership prioritizing draft position over effort and accountability, it’s no wonder tensions are boiling over.

What’s worse, Schoen and Daboll seem to have lost the ability to inspire confidence. The Giants’ inability to address the concerns of their players, whether it’s Nabers, Lawrence, or Lock, has created an atmosphere of discontent that threatens to derail the franchise’s future. A rebuild can only succeed if everyone is on the same page, and right now, the Giants are a team tearing at the seams.

With a 2-9 record and no end to the losing streak in sight, the Giants face an offseason full of tough decisions. If ownership doesn’t act swiftly to address the growing mutiny, starting with a hard look at Schoen and Daboll, the damage to the locker room could take years to repair.

For a team eager to regain its relevance, time is running out.

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