John Mara explains why New York Giants are keeping Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll

“I think that they’re the right two guys to lead us going forward”

In the weeks prior to the end of the 2024 NFL season, as planes flew over MetLife Stadium with messages from unhappy fans and discussion swirled about the futures of New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen, I said many times that the hard decision for the organization to make would be keeping both in place.

That, as we know, is what co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch have decided to do.

Mara spoke briefly to media in the field house at the Giants’ facility on Monday morning.

“I think that they’re the right two guys to lead us going forward,” Mara said. “I understand, believe me, that that’s not going to be the most popular decision in Giants-Land, but we believe it’s the right decision.”

Mara said the much-reported conversations he was expected to have with Daboll and Schoen actually took place on Friday, and that the decision was made in concert with Tisch after those meetings.

Why is Schoen the right GM?

“I thought we had an outstanding draft class this year. I thought we had a really good free agency period, and I really like the staff that he’s put together and built,” Mara said. “

Why stay with Daboll?

“He was the Coach of the Year two years ago. That didn’t disappear all of a sudden, I still believe he can do that again,” Mara said.

Mara knows there will be a vocal group of fans who disagree, and will say so in sometimes colorful ways.

“I didn’t need planes flying over me to tell me how upset the fans are,” he said.

“Nobody is more frustrated and upset than I am. I appreciate the fact that [the fans] have hung in there with us. I get your frustration, I feel your pain, but I still believe this is the right decision for us going forward.”

Will he be right?

The answer to that is the only thing that matters at this point.

Early results from our poll indicate that Giants fans are split, but that a slight majority think giving Schoen and Daboll a chance to continue their work is the right thing to do.

Schoen and Daboll each have two years left on their five-year contracts. Considering that trying to draft and develop a quarterback is obviously on the Giants’ agenda, thinking of staying with Schoen and Daboll as a two-year decision is natural.

Mara did not sound like he will wait that long for answer.

Mara said “it better not take too long” for the product to get better.

“I’ve just about run out of patience.”

Does that mean the GM and head coach are on the hot seat entering 2025?

“We’re going to have to see,” Mara said. “I’m going to have to be in a better mood this time next year than I am right now.”

The translation to that is simple. Despite the apparent difficulty of the 2025 schedule and any other obstacles that may come along, 3-14 is not going to be tolerated again.

“If I’m sitting here a year from now and you’re asking me these questions, I’ll take the heat,” Mara said. ““It’s my strong belief that we are going … that we are gonna go in the right direction. It’s hard for me to say we’re going in the right direction right now because we’re going backwards.”

Is it playoffs or bust for Schoen and Daboll? NFL insider Mike Garafolo thinks it might be:

Mara admitted he isn’t sure the roster is better now than it was when Schoen and Daboll came on board in 2022.

“I’m not sure I am all that confident that it’s that much better,” Mara said. “I think once you solve the quarterback issue I think a lot of these other things will improve.”

That means this should be a busy, aggressive offseason for Schoen and the front office.

Never tanking

Mara was crystal clear on the idea of tanking for a higher draft pick:

“If I had thought that we were tanking either one of those games, I would’ve fired everybody. We are never going to do that in this organization as long as I’m standing on this side of the grass.”