Well, it’s finally over! What was supposed to be one of the New York Giants’ most memorable seasons—the franchise’s centennial season—turned into arguably the worst year in team history.
The Giants set a franchise record with 14 losses this year and finished with just three wins. Yes, the season is now 18 weeks long, but fans can’t be thrilled when a team finishes with double-digit losses and fails to win even five games.
With this tumultuous season finally behind us, fans are relieved to turn their attention to the offseason and the possibility of bringing in new pieces to help rebuild the team and get back to the postseason. Significant changes are expected, but one thing that will remain intact is the leadership at the top.
On Monday morning, around 8:30 a.m., the New York Giants posted an official statement from President and Owner John Mara, announcing the team will retain general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll for the 2025 season.
This news shocked many fans. Despite the initial success of the Daboll era, when the Giants returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, things have not gone as planned since the former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator took over.
Not only are the Giants coming off their worst season in history, but Big Blue is 18-32-1 since Schoen and Daboll took over three years ago. Why, then, would the organization run it back with the same general manager-head coach tandem?
Since Tom Coughlin left the organization in 2015, four different coaches have taken over, so giving Daboll a fourth year to get it right could be Mara’s way of injecting stability into the franchise.
Many fans have already criticized Mara for this decision, including Dave Rothenberg, a lifelong Giants fan and radio host of DiPietro and Rothenberg on ESPN New York 98.7 FM, who went scorched earth on the Big Blue owner during his show this morning.
Dave Rothenberg has had enough and has lost faith in the direction the Giants' direction after retaining Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll
On Monday morning, Rothenberg bashed the Giants during his show after the organization released Mara’s statement. The long-time ESPN New York 98.7 FM radio host and devoted Giants fan said he was demoralized and had lost faith in the team’s future. He stated that a new year is supposed to bring hope, but he did not feel the Giants were moving in that direction.
Rothenberg added that the only thing that could change his opinion and give him hope would be if the Giants drafted a young quarterback who showed promise. However, he cautioned that if the team drafted a new franchise quarterback who failed to deliver after mortgaging the future, he would be furious.
Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will be back for the #Giants in 2025 and Dave has lost faith in the team's direction.
— DiPietro & Rothenberg (@DRonESPN) January 6, 2025
LISTEN: https://t.co/jLsa28DGEc. pic.twitter.com/adOj8fRwwx
During his rant, Rothenberg also criticized the Giants’ leadership. He called Mara a "good, kind, decent man" but said he no longer knew what was going on. Rothenberg further described Schoen as "irrelevant" and suggested that Daboll "may be a total fraud running the team."
Only time will tell what the future holds for the New York Giants, but for now, Schoen and Daboll must find a way to get Big Blue back to its winning ways. That journey begins at the NFL Draft in April, where the team holds the No. 3 pick and will likely target its next franchise quarterback.