The New York Giants were among the worst teams in the NFL during the 2024 season. They posted a 3-14 record – tied for the worst in the league with the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns – and stumbled over many self-made roadblocks during the campaign.
Notably, the team released starting quarterback Daniel Jones less than two years into a four-year, $160 million contract he had signed with the team during the 2023 offseason. As a result, they had to pivot to Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle at the position with predictably poor results.
Things got so bad for the Giants that some fans began flying banners around MetLife Stadium during home games, imploring owner John Mara to fire head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen and start things afresh in 2025.
Mara did not relent to the pressure. On Monday, the Giants announced they were keeping Daboll and Schoen’s brain trust in place for another season.
‘Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will continue in their respective roles with the organization,’ Mara’s statement read. ‘As disappointing as the results of the season have been, [team chairman] Steve [Tisch] and I remain confident in the process that Joe and Brian have implemented and their vision for our team.
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‘We look forward to the future and the result we all desire.’
Here’s what to know about the Giants’ decision.
Why didn’t Giants fire Brian Daboll?
Mara told reporters during a media availability on Monday that his decision to bring back Daboll and Schoen was based on his confidence in the duo.
‘In Brian’s case, he was the Coach of the Year two years ago. That didn’t disappear all of a sudden,’ Mara said. ‘I still believe he can do that again.’
Mara further explained that he is ‘at practice all the time’ and keeps a close eye on how Daboll gets through to his players.
‘I watch how they react,’ Mara said of the Giants players. ‘I still think he’s the right guy.’
That played a big part in Mara’s decision. So too did his desire for continuity, which he had expressed throughout the past calendar year. He lamented at times that the team had been through four different head coaches and one interim coach since the 2017 season, and that’s why he didn’t want to make changes.
‘Obviously, we’re all very disappointed with where we are right now,’ Mara said on Oct. 27 at the debut of an NFL Films production about his father, Wellington Mara, per CBS Sports. ‘But I’m going to say one thing: We are not making any changes this season and I do not anticipate making any changes in the offseason either.’
However, Mara wouldn’t give a timetable on his commitment to Daboll and Schoen, even though the team is expected to bring a new quarterback in for the 2025 NFL season. He also didn’t give them a strong vote of confidence when asked if they would enter next season on the hot seat.
‘We’re gonna have to see,’ Mara told reporters. ‘I’m gonna have to be in a better mood this time next year than I am right now.’
Despite this, Daboll will get a fourth chance to prove himself – something no New York head coach has been granted since Tom Coughlin coached the team from 2014-15.
That said, Daboll doesn’t have much room for error as he tries to turn things around.
‘It better not take too long because I’ve just about run out of patience,’ Mara said.
Brian Daboll coaching record
Daboll has posted a record of just 18-32-1 during his three seasons as the Giants’ head coach.
Daboll led the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and a playoff berth in his first year with the team. New York beat the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round before being blown out against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC divisional round.
Daboll’s performance in his first season was enough to earn him the AP Coach of the Year award for 2022. He helped Jones enjoy his best season as an NFL starting quarterback, which led many to believe that the 2019 first-round pick could continue to progress with more time in Daboll’s system.
Ultimately, that didn’t happen. The Giants have gone 9-25 in their two seasons since and bottomed out with a 3-14 record in 2024. New York has the third pick in the upcoming 2025 draft.
Below is a year-by-year look at Daboll’s record with the Giants (playoff record listed in parentheses.)
2022: 9-7-1
2023: 6-11
2024: 3-14