Bob Brodman asks: Ed, I assume that Flores wouldn’t accept an interview offer from the Giants or the other teams in his lawsuit who he thinks had sham interviews to satisfy the Rooney Rule. We also know that you can’t just make an job offer to a coach without interviewing at least one minority candidate from outside the organization. So here is my question. Can a team make an offer to a minority candidate without interviewing anyone else? Can the Giants just offer the job to Flores right now?
Ed says: Bob, no, that can’t happen. The hiring process established by the NFL, which is detailed in this post, must be followed. Two IN-PERSON interviews with minority candidates must be held. Coaches currently employed by other NFL teams cannot yet be interviewed in person.
Besides, Brian Flores is not getting the Giants’ job. He is suing the team and there are a lot of hard feelings from that situation that might not be soothed even if the suit were dropped.
David Silver asks: Having watched the new kickoff rules for an entire season (and seen Deonte Banks take one to the house) are you in favor of the rule?
Ed says: Absolutely. David, I am 100% in favor of the new rules. I can’t find the season-ending stats, but the number of kickoffs returned more than doubled from 2024-2025, and the last numbers I saw showed more kickoffs being returned in 2025 than the NFL had seen in two decades.
The rules have turned a boring, bathroom-break, play back into an exciting “real” play that can have game-altering impact.
Mike Eversman asks: Hey Ed, to what extent might salary factor in to our HC search? An experienced HC like Harbaugh, Tomlin, or even Stefanski will command a higher salary than an untested first timer, and once again we’ll be paying a fired HC in addition to our next one, so I wonder how much this factors in.
Ed says: Mike, the last franchise valuation by Forbes pegged the Giants as third-most valuable NFL franchise as a valuation of $10.1 billion. Years ago, they were not willing to outbid the Carolina Panthers for Matt Rhule. In that instance, their restraint was proven right.
This time around, if they want John Harbaugh or Mike Tomlin, maybe even Kevin Stefanski, I cannot imagine cost being an issue. There is a big difference from Rhule to Harbaugh/Tomlin/Stefanski. The Giants have the financial resources, and pinching pennies is not an option.
I love this from Kay Adams. I think it sums up the situation perfectly:
Jack MacMullen asks: Lots of Giant fans are probably thinking “we have the keys to the kingdom” with all the options for the head coach we have. The additions of Stefanski and Harbaugh have all of us pretty excited.
My question is; since many are dreaming of the “big two”, what will the response be if we don’t get either one? My guess is negative comments will dominate the feelings of the regular posters.
I’ve seen us go anywhere from #1 to #3 in the betting for one of these (2), but there is definitely a lot of competition out there.
Where are you if neither is hired?
Ed says: Jack, you just had to go and bring up the nightmare scenario, didn’t you? Look, both John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski have suitors and will likely be able to have their choice of available jobs. The Giants opening, with Jaxson Dart, the New York market, a high draft pick, and a decent amount of existing young talent, is thought by some to be the best available job outside of Baltimore.
The Giants quite simply have to do everything they can to get Harbaugh to come to New Jersey. If the Giants miss out on BOTH coaches I might have to shut down comments at Big Blue View for about six months. Or retire so I don’t have to deal with it.
If the Giants miss out on Harbaugh, I can see a scenario where they “choose” someone other than Stefanski. You never know what will happen in the interview process. The way the market is shaping up, the Giants can’t end up with leftovers. They need to be bold and get the guy they want.
Matt Totaro asks: Ed, ownership just gave Joe Schoen a vote of confidence this week, but John Harbaugh is now the biggest fish on the market. If Harbaugh says he’ll come to East Rutherford only if he can pick his own GM, do the Giants break their ‘loyalty’ rule to land him? Or is the Mara/Tisch commitment to Schoen set in stone at this point? Besides Harbaugh, are there any other coaches, who are available, who would want their guy as the GM, that the Giants would move on from Schoen for them?
Ed says: Matt, unless Mike Tomlin also becomes available I think Harbaugh is the only coach on the market right now with the gravitas to make that demand. I don’t know what the Giants would do. They have always had a top-down structure where the GM was above the coach, and they are fiercely loyal. I know what I would do. As much as I supported bringing Schoen back, I’d send Joe packing in a heartbeat if Harbaugh insisted on bringing someone from Baltimore to be his GM. As I study Harbaugh’s history, I don’t think he would make that kind of demand. He will, though, insist on a stronger voice than Brian Daboll had in personnel matters.
Schoen has always talked about the front office trying to move the coaching staff to their point of view on players. I suspect Harbaugh, if the Giants hired him, would have the juice to say “I want player X” and get that player.
Kölnerbigblue asks: Ed, I’m just wondering about your opinion. Is John Mara’s health or his succession plan a reasonable topic for a Head Coach candidate? I think it is a reasonable private topic that should not be made public. I once refused a position when the management refused to discuss the succession plan for the 69-year-old owner of a firm.
Ed says: Kölner, I absolutely think that is a fair topic for a head coaching candidate to inquire about. Maybe it violates HIPAA, but in my view a candidate for the job has the right to know everything about the situation he is considering committing himself to.
NFL teams are required each year to submit succession plans to the NFL in the event something happens to their owner. In the case of the Giants, their two owners. I don’t believe it would be fair to the coaching candidate to hide that information from him.
John Steinbreder asks: I keep reading quotes from Giants players and members of the team’s front office about the importance of the next coach making and keeping players accountable. Were things really that out-of-control in that regard under Daboll?
Ed says: John, the fact that players keep talking about it is your answer. It is clear that players felt there wasn’t enough accountability, and that there were different rules/expectations for different people. Part of a coaching staff’s job is to push players to be the best they can, sometimes to push players to do things they don’t want to do. It is clear players felt that was not happening.
Juan Batista asks: Long time Giant Fan and longtime bigblueview fan. Why is Gruden’s name not being mentioned as a HC candidate? By the interaction between them on Grudens’ platform, they would make a great duo, and Gruden is proven! I believe a HC and QB relationship is vital for success. What is your opinion?
Ed says: Juan, I have said before that I want nothing to do with Jon Gruden. I can’t imagine John Mara ever signing off on a pursuit of Gruden after the e-mail scandal and his lawsuit against the NFL. Have you noticed that as of now not a single team has scheduled an interview with Gruden? He remains toxic.
Besides which, the last time he coached a team that made the playoffs was in 2007. Just because he does a cool show talking to quarterbacks doesn’t mean he should be a head coach.
Adam Jacobs asks: As of this writing (lunchtime on Wednesday), the availability of coaches include Stefanski and John Harbaugh. Instead of asking who you want the team to hire, or even who they WILL hire, I am curious about the following. Does the HC the team eventually hires say more about how good an opening the Giants opening is? For example, if both Stefanski and Harbaugh choose to go to other teams, assuming they are the clear best candidates out there, does that mean the Giants job is not as highly coveted as the fanbase, and talking heads, believe? I’m curious as to who the team is actually able to bring in house to take the reigns.
What do you think? Is there a chance we the fans are wrong about how good the opening is this cycle, or am I overthinking it?
Ed says: Adam, in my opinion you are overthinking it. There is a good young quarterback with three years left on his rookie contract. There is stable ownership. There are a number of quality players. There is high draft capital. It’s the New York/New Jersey market. The job is highly desirable.
Does that mean John Harbaugh or Kevin Stefanski will take the job, if offered? No. There are no guarantees. It means that it is a job almost every candidate seems to want to come to New Jersey to discuss.
David Gates asks: Ed, I worked for a large company. When we needed to fill a position, we were given names, work experience, most recent performance appraisal and current supervisor names. We could not interview the candidates. I couldn’t get to know the person or know if they would really be a good fit. Can NFL teams bring in players and interview them prior to making an offer? If they can’t, then I see this as a big problem. Just talking with other players, coaches, agents isn’t enough. Not all players can play in New York. How does a team really know if a player is going to be a good fit? I think some players just go to a team for the money, and are not really motivated to play for the new team.
Ed says: Yes, David, teams can bring players in and talk to them once the free agent negotiating period begins. Several years ago, it was common practice for players to take visits to teams before signing someplace. That doesn’t happen nearly as often now.
Free agency happens so fast and the top players generally sign so quickly that teams are going to miss the boat if they start asking all their top targets to come in for in-person visits. They rely on their pro scouts. They rely on the reports from before players were drafted, and the impressions they had of players at the time. They rely on coaches on their staff who may have come across a player at another stop in their coaching career. They rely on other players who played with a free agent target somewhere else.
Of course players more often than not go where the money is. Most people do.
Chris Butters asks: It seems that every year the ‘hot’ coordinators get hired away to be head coaches, and then 2-3 years later many end up getting fired (Daboll, McAdoo from us, Kingsbury, Gannon, Glenn plus numerous others league wide).
Rather than going down this route (again) do you see merit in trying to find a CEO type HC?
One who doesn’t get too involved on either side of the ball, letting the OC/DC scheme how they want and helping them find the right personnel to make it work, and managing the roster/in game decisions etc.
Ed says: Chris, I have always advocated for the CEO-style head coach rather than the one side of the ball head coach. My preference is always a guy who coaches the entire team and isn’t focused on one side of the ball during the week or on game day.
That said, both can work. We see that over and over. Every coach has different strengths. If you are a one side of the ball coach you need to be able to hire great people on the other side of the ball and have enough humility to get out of their way and empower them. You also still have to have the ability to build relationships and respect with the players on the other side of the ball. You are still the culture setter and the guy responsible for holding everyone accountable to the rules and the standards that are set.
Robert Lumsdon asks: First off, I want to assert my position on Jaxson Dart. I think he’s a dynamic playmaker, and the offense definitely looks good with him at QB. That said, when I watch him throw deep balls or make off-script passes to the sidelines, they often seem a bit wobbly or underthrown. Is this a common opinion, or am I just nitpicking? If it is, how much of this is due to his arm strength, and how much is a result of his mechanics? Do you think this requires a major overhaul of his mechanics or is it just rookie growing pains?
Ed says: Robert, I am going to disagree with you when it comes to off-script or off-platform throwing. I think that happens to be a Dart strength. It isn’t fair or accurate to compare him to Patrick Mahomes, but there is a little bit of Mahomes-esque magic when he starts running around.
I am not ready to pass judgment on Dart’s deep ball accuracy. He isn’t Josh Allen or a young Matthew Stafford, but he has plenty of arm strength. He completed just 16 of 50 passes beyond 20 yards down field, 32%. That placed him 20th out of 21 qualifying quarterbacks with at least 42 attempts at that distance.
Is that a Dart problem? I don’t know. Matt Waldman of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio questioned Dart’s deep ball accuracy coming out of Ole Miss. Dart had four of 20 deep throws dropped, 20%. That is a higher percentage than any qualifying quarterback, and 20 of 50 (40%) puts him right in the middle of the pack.
I think we need to see Dart with Malik Nabers and an improved receiving corps, and see how his career develops before we make that assessment.
Derick Gross asks: I’m not big on positional value, but the conversation about how attractive the Giants’ head coaching vacancy is revolves around our stars at coveted positions. I never thought about how that would impact a HC search before, but I can see how having Burns instead of Leonard Williams, or prioritizing Jermaine Eleumunor over Xavier McKinney, improves our chances of landing an elite coach. Has that possibility changed how you evaluate Joe Schoen?
Ed says: Derick, it really comes down to a young quarterback with three (four if you count the fifth-year option) years left on his rookie contract. For me, none of that changes how I feel about Schoen. That’s an accumulation of four years worth of work, and how the franchise is positioned right now.
Larry Jamieson asks: OK, head coach and quite a few changes to the coaching staff, I’m wondering about the defense. Quite a bit of talent, but way underperformed with Bowen. Yet, when Bullen, with no experience as a DC, started to get improved play out of defense. Bobby Okereke suddenly became visible, Abdul Carter got serious, and there was general better play, except for the rushing D.
Deonte Banks played pretty well in Wink’s defense, but was lost in Bowen’s. Many people have labeled him a bust, but could he re-emerge in the new system? Maybe a bit more accountability would also help him?
Ed says: Larry, Tae Banks has as much physical skill and athleticism as any cornerback in football. I would never say he can’t be a useful player with the right defensive coordinator. “Useful”, though, might mean a third or fourth cornerback and kickoff returner you hope to use situationally. I don’t think you are looking at a guy anyone should plan on to be a major part of their defense.
Paul Simonson asks: I have been a NYG fan since 1958. The one constant through the ups and downs and the recent years of disaster has been the Mara family. It seems that once they lost the imposed upon them tree of Young-Accorsi-Reese they have been the definition of clueless losers, as they were before Rozelle imposed order. Do you believe, as I do, that absent ownership changes, which is highly unlikely, there will not be a quick turnaround?
Ed says: Paul, no, I do not believe that. I believe they have the right quarterback, and that with the right head coaching hire they can have that quick turnaround we have seen from the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, and New England Patriots in recent years.
Ownership isn’t changing. The Giants have been the Mara family business for more than 100 years. Would I like to see a front office without Mara family members having a voice, or some people who have been there since Wellington Mara was alive being seemingly untouchable? Sure.
Adam Singer asks: Do you see any correlation between the better play Abdul Carter has shown recently and Kayvon Thibodeaux being out of the lineup? In other words, has Carter been playing better because he has been able to play his more natural position now versus how he was being utilized earlier in the season? If so, is it time to trade Thibodeaux this offseason to allow Carter to play opposite Burns full time (or even trade Burns instead because, while he is great, he will fetch a much better return and the Giants need so many more pieces)?
Ed says: Adam, it is impossible to know that. I think Carter began to play better when Mike Kafka finally got his attention, stopped letting him do whatever he wanted without consequences, and got him to understand that there is a way a professional needs to approach his job.
As for trading Thibodeaux, I do believe that is possible this offseason. It is a more natural, easier fit with two premier edge defenders instead of three. More importantly, dropping from No. 1 or No. 2 in the 2026 NFL Draft meant the Giants lost the opportunity to get a big haul of draft picks to move down. I think there are teams that would like to have Thibodeaux, and the Giants could perhaps get a couple of mid-round picks for him. I think moving him has to be on the table if they get an offer they like.
Bob Donnelly asks: It’s been quite a week! There seems to be a new HC vacancy every few days. If you were a HC candidate how would you rank the current openings?
Ed says: Bob, of course every head coaching candidate is going to bring different things to the table and value different things when it comes to choice of landing spots. Let me take a stab at this.
- Baltimore Ravens — No-brainer. Winning culture. Stability. Excellent front office. Great quarterback.
- New York Giants — Jaxson Dart. Some other good pieces. Stable ownership. New York/New Jersey market. A team that needs to be taught how to win, and after the last decade a return to relevance rather than a Super Bowl title will be considered a job well done.
- Atlanta Falcons — An underrated, attractive job with a team in a weak division. If you believe in Michael Penix.
- Miami Dolphins — It’s Miami. They don’t have a quarterback, but they have sunshine and no state income tax. Get the right head coach and players will be lining up to play there.
- Tennessee Titans — Cam Ward. Enough said.
- Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders are mess, but that means there is basically no place to go but up for a new coach. It is a ground up rebuild, and might be the perfect spot for a young, first-time coach.
- Arizona Cardinals — They need a new quarterback, and I’m not sure that even the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft will get them one. I think the Cardinals are mired in mediocrity, or worse, and I’m not sure of the path to get out.
- Cleveland Browns — It’s Cleveland. Still with the same front office that thought having FIVE quarterbacks at the start of 2025, without a clear starter, was a good idea.
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