John Mara had a lot to say at the Giants practice facility on Monday morning, as reporters - and fans - eagerly awaited the owner’s explanation as to why Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are still employed with the team.
What ensued was a painful display of hypocrisy that doesn’t bode well for the future of the franchise, even if the intentions were pure.
Mara addressed a litany of problems with the Giants, many that exist because of the head coach and general manager. Perhaps the amount of problems that needed comment should be enough to prompt the realization that changes needed to be made, but Mara’s responses unintentionally further reinforced that running it back with this regime for a fourth season is not what’s best for the organization. Let’s look at the highlights from Monday’s comments:
Let’s begin with what many saw as the headline quote from Mara, which you may very well see on the back pages in New York on Tuesday morning.
When asked how long it may take for the Giants to pull themselves out of the NFL’s basement, Mara had this to say:
“It better not take too long, because I've just about run out of patience,” Mara said, via SNY. “We're gonna have to see. I'm gonna have to be in a better mood this time next year than I am right now.”
I’ve got bad news for the Giants owner: committing to Schoen and Daboll for a fourth season means committing to patience, and Big Blue is likely not going to be much better in 2025 than it was this season. Mara, who also repeatedly stated that the quarterback position is likely the most important area of the team that needs to be addressed, has to realize that Schoen and Daboll will prioritize a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick, which they “earned” with their miserable 3-14 campaign. Given the laundry list of roster needs outside of quarterback, is it fair to expect a rookie quarterback coming in and instantly lifting the team’s ceiling like Jayden Daniels did in Washington this year? Is Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward really of the same pedigree as Daniels? In all likelihood, Daboll would need time to develop the hypothetical rookie QB within his offense, and that’s not happing by “this time next year.”
Another news flash for Mara: The Giants’ schedule in 2025 is not easy, to say the least. Taking a year to develop a rookie quarterback - which is what Schoen and Daboll were brought here to do - while the Giants navigate a gauntlet in 2025, is likely going to lead to more losing. If that ends with Schoen and Daboll being fired at this time in 2026, why bring them back for 2025 in the first place?
Next, Mara cited frustration with the team’s defense in 2024, noting his fatigue with watching teams march up and down the field, and stated that he wouldn’t be against hiring a new defensive coordinator for a second straight offseason. In addition, he was at a loss when asked where the Giants roster has improved from when Schoen and Daboll were hired to the present day.
“I’m not sure I am all that confident that it’s that much better,” Mara said. “I think though, with the draft class we just had, it’s very unusual to have six draftees and all of them I think will help us going forward. That’s rare…I think, once you solve the quarterback issue, a lot of these other issues will improve as well.”
Sure, Schoen seemingly did very well with his most recent draft class, as Malik Nabers, Tyrone Tracy, Andru Phillips, and Tyler Nubin all look like they can at least be contributors on the roster moving forward, while others, like Nabers, look like a star in the making. But Evan Neal, a top-10 pick, is a bust, top-five pick Kayvon Thibodeau seems like a disappointment, first-rounder Deonte Banks is trending the way of Neal, and Jalin Hyatt doesn’t seem to have much of a future with the team. for all of the hits in this year’s draft, Schoen has had some egregious misses, and hired a defensive coordinator that Mara is seemingly already prepared to move on from.
Now, to Mara’s thoughts on Daboll:
“Maybe he makes some other changes in the way he operates going forward,” Mara said. “I talked to him if he really believed it was in his best interest to continue calling the plays…are you better off having someone else calling the plays? That’s a discussion we’re going to continue to have…at the end of the day, he has to make the decision on whether or not he does that.”
So, Mara believes that Daboll, who is supposed to be an offensive guru trusted with developing a quarterback, should consider relinquishing play calling duties, and once again contributed to a mistake of a hire at defensive coordinator? What about any of these assessments warranted keeping him and Schoen around for a fourth season after winning just three games this time around?
Mara also emphatically stated that the Giants weren’t tanking at the end of the season, as he would have “fired everyone” if they were. So, Big Blue lost a game to the Eagles practice squad while trying to win, putting a fitting bow on the 2024 season, and that led to Mara deciding it is best for Schoen and Daboll to come back? What if it doesn’t work out in 2025? Mara declared that he is just about out of patience, but also stressed the importance of fixing the quarterback decision. That typically requires more than one year. Does that mean Schoen and Daboll are back for a two-year commitment?
“I understand the question, but I'm not going to put any kind of time limit on it,” Mara said. “But I certainly understand where you’re going with that.”
Every Giants fan knows the context of that question. Bringing back Schoen and Daboll with sights set on drafting a quarterback likely means that another year of rebuilding is on the way, but if Mara’s patience is running out like he says, what happens if next year finishes with double digit losses again? What was the point of bringing them back if they already seem destined to fall short of ownership’s expectations for 2025?
Mara’s comments on his commitment to Schoen and Daboll were just one of several conflicting messages that likely leave fans uninspired for what is to come.