The New York Giants’ 2024 season has been a study in frustration, capped off by a franchise-record 10-game losing streak and a fanbase with seemingly endless patience finally hitting its breaking point. As owner John Mara faces a critical offseason, one thing has become clear: general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are no longer viewed as a package deal.
Multiple reports have confirmed that Mara intends to evaluate Schoen and Daboll independently at the season’s conclusion. Though they came to New York as a duo from Buffalo and were hailed as the architects of the team’s promising 2022 playoff run, the Giants' trajectory since then has been a nosedive. While Schoen’s reputation as a roster-builder has kept him on firmer ground, Daboll’s standing as head coach is on far shakier footing.
At 2-13, the Giants are careening toward securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, likely their best shot at landing a franchise quarterback. Mara must decide whether the Schoen-Daboll tandem can be trusted to guide this critical decision—or if it’s time for a fresh start.
The New York Giants are a franchise at a crossroads
What began as cautious optimism has unraveled into a full-blown organizational crisis. Schoen has largely avoided direct blame for the Giants' collapse, with insiders indicating Mara still values the GM’s talent evaluation and long-term vision. Daboll, however, has become a lightning rod for criticism.
The team’s inconsistency on offense has been glaring, particularly after Schoen let MVP candidate Saquon Barkley go for nothing. On defense, losing players like Xavier McKinney without proper replacements has pushed young talent into significant playing time, which has not elevated the unit to anything resembling a playoff-caliber group. At some point, a lack of execution falls squarely on the coaching staff, and Daboll is running out of solutions.
If Mara chooses to retain Schoen and part ways with Daboll, it would reflect a belief that the roster has potential—but also that a new voice in the locker room is necessary. Conversely, firing Schoen while keeping Daboll could be seen as an acknowledgment that the roster construction has failed and the head coach wasn’t given the tools to succeed. The latter option, however, is viewed as less likely.
This is a pivotal moment for the Giants, who have cycled through three head coaches and two general managers since 2018. While Mara may prefer continuity, staying the course carries significant risks. A toxic environment of constant job speculation could doom the team to another wasted season in 2025, regardless of the talent influx that the No. 1 pick may bring.
As much as Schoen and Daboll were presented as a duo in 2022, this offseason will be a test of whether either man can stand alone as the leader Mara trusts to pull the Giants out of their spiral. The clock is ticking, and so is the patience of Giants fans.