Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll walks onto the field after loss to Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Giants coach Brian Daboll, GM Joe Schoen back in 2025

Three wins proved good enough for the New York Giants to bring back general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll for 2025.

Despite a 3-14 season and rumors of a change atop of the organization, Giants co-owners Steve Tisch and John Mara retained the team’s leadership on Monday.

“Now that our season is over, we felt it necessary to make this statement: Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will continue in their respective roles with the organization,” Mara said in a statement. “As disappointing as the results of the season have been, Steve and I remain confident in the process that Joe and Brian have implemented and their vision for our team. We look forward to the future and achieving the results we all desire.”

New York moved on from quarterback Daniel Jones during the season and flipped between backups Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock throughout a losing streak that reached 10 games before a 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 29. That win bumped the Giants from the No. 1 overall draft pick before they ended the season on Sunday with a 20-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Daboll began his coaching career with a 7-2 record and the Giants reached the playoffs at 9-7-1 in 2022. But they fell to 6-11 in 2023 and opted not to re-sign running back Saquon Barkley in March 2024, when he landed with Philadelphia.

Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards and had 15 total touchdowns with the Eagles this season.

–Field Level Media

New York Giants co-owner John Mara (left) and New York Giants General Manager, Joe Schoen, speak with New York Giants Head Coach, Brian Daboll, at MetLife Stadium before their team hosts the New England Patriots, Sunday, November 26, 2023.

Flying-mad fans demand Giants ‘fire everyone’

New York Giants ownership got another pregame message from angry fans.

For the second Sunday in a row, a plane flew over MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., ahead of kickoff, dragging a banner asking co-owner John Mara to make a giant change in the organization.

“Mr Mara Enough — We won’t stop until you fire everyone,” the banner read.

The Giants (2-11) lost an uninspiring game last week to the New Orleans Saints, 14-11. Prior to that contest, a similar message implored Mara to “fix this dumpster fire.”

New York stood at 2-3 on Oct. 6 following a 29-20 road win over the Seattle Seahawks. They’ve since lost eight consecutive games and are winless at home.

And the odds stood against the Giants entering Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens (8-5). Per the New York Post, the 16.5-point spread favoring the Ravens was the highest in the NFL this season and the largest for a home underdog since at least 1966.

Seven games into the season, with the Giants at 2-5, Mara gave a vote of confidence to general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

“Obviously, we’re all very disappointed with where we are right now,” Mara said. “But I’m gonna say one thing: we are not making any changes this season. And I do not anticipate making any changes in the offseason, either.”

The six losses since could have changed Mara’s mind, but he hasn’t addressed the aerial messages specifically or his leadership’s future in general. It’s been a season of turmoil, which included the release of starting quarterback Daniel Jones after he was benched by Daboll,

Things won’t get any easier for the Giants after the Ravens’ visit.

New York closes the season with games against two teams — the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts — that still had a shot at the playoffs as of Week 15, and the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles.

The Week 17 meeting with the Colts is the final home game of the 2024 season.

The Giants have made the playoffs just twice since 2012 when the won the second of two Super Bowls in the Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning era. Since Coughlin’s departure following the 2015 season, the Giants have employed four head coaches and one interim coach.

The Mara family has owned the team since its founding in 1925.

–Field Level Media

East Rutherford, NJ -- November 24, 2024 -- Tommy DeVito of the Giants gets hit after he threw this pass by Calijah Kancey of Tampa Bay in the fourth quarter. DeVito was injured and came out of the game for one play as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to MetLife Stadium and defeated the New York Giants 30-7.

Giants QB Tommy DeVito wants to play at Dallas, but ‘whole body is sore’

Guests of the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, the visiting Giants were still taking inventory of available players 48 hours before the scheduled kickoff in Arlington, Texas.

Quarterback Tommy DeVito was limited with a forearm injury and Drew Lock, passed over last week for the No. 1 job taken from Daniel Jones, could suddenly find himself in the huddle operating the Giants’ offense.

“My whole body is kind of sore. First time playing in awhile, took a couple of shots,” DeVito said Tuesday, two days after he was sacked four times by the Buccaneers in a 30-7 loss. “I’m planning to play. See how I feel (Wednesday). Hopefully I feel a little bit better after some more treatment.”

DeVito jumped Lock from No. 3 on the depth chart and started Sunday. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 189 yards and is expected to be the starter if healthy.

But DeVito, who made his seventh career start last week, is “not 100 percent” to play, head coach Brian Daboll clarified on Tuesday when Lock received the reps with the first-team offense.

“His forearm is sore. We’ll see where we’re at,” Daboll said. “He threw in the walkthrough (and) he’s going to test it out here in practice. So I’m hopeful. But it’s not 100 percent.”

A fifth-year pro drafted by the Broncos and traded to the Seattle Seahawks in the Russell Wilson deal, Lock has 23 career starts and signed a one-year, $5 million deal in free agency to be the No. 2 quarterback behind Jones.

–Field Level Media

East Rutherford, NJ -- November 24, 2024 -- Tommy DeVito of the Giants gets hit after he threw this pass by Calijah Kancey of Tampa Bay in the fourth quarter. DeVito was injured and came out of the game for one play as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to MetLife Stadium and defeated the New York Giants 30-7.

Brian Daboll: Giants’ effort there, QB Tommy DeVito expected to play Thursday

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll awaits word from the training staff on the status of quarterback Tommy DeVito but says he’s positive effort is not an issue even after locker room leaders described the team effort as “soft” in a 30-7 defeat Sunday to Tampa Bay.

Daboll said he invited conversation about the end result against the Buccaneers, which dropped the Giants to 2-9 this season before a short week and holiday showcase game at Dallas on Thanksgiving, but said he doesn’t see effort as the issue.

“I mean we went back, we evaluated the tape this morning. Look, we didn’t play well enough,” Daboll told reporters Monday. “Some things, whether it’s execution stuff, call stuff, that we just didn’t get the job done. But in terms of running to the football, giving effort at the line of scrimmage, those didn’t stand out.

“What stands out was three sacks early on in the first half, 0-for-4 on third down, a variety of missed tackles that caused some big plays. And the missed tackles weren’t a lack-of-effort missed tackles. Give Tampa Bay credit. They did a good job, and we didn’t do a good enough job. … But the guys played hard, they played with effort.”

Daboll said he was leaving the press conference Monday to make some of the same teaching points to the entire team at their usual day-after group breakdown.

“Look, we have good communication. We’ll talk about what Jermaine sees,” Daboll said in reference to offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor’s comments after the loss. “And we’ll talk about what we see. We’ll watch it. It’s right on tape. But again, I have confidence in the guys in the locker room.”

The loss came six days after the Giants demoted, then waived, starting quarterback Daniel Jones. The defeat stretches the Giants’ losing streak to six games and was the fourth time this season New York failed to score more than seven points.

After the game, rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and veteran offensive lineman Eluemunor separately said the effort against the Buccaneers wasn’t there.

“Look, these guys put a lot of work into this, as does everybody involved, and certainly not something that we wanted yesterday. We work hard every week to not have that happen, and that was a tough one,” Daboll said. “So, there’s frustration that comes with it, understandable. And we communicate, I think we have good leadership in our locker room. I think we communicate on a daily basis. But certainly, a frustrating game, no question about it.”

DeVito took multiple hard hits and was sacked four times. Perhaps the most jarring was in the first quarter when DeVito stepped up on the pocket to evade pressure coming from his right and met speedy defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who delivered a de-cleater upon impact. DeVito miraculously held onto the ball on the third-down sack.

Kancey hit DeVito again in the fourth quarter as he was releasing a pass with enough force to bring his feet well off the ground for a second time.

“I have not talked to the training staff yet. So, I’ll wait until they give me the update, then we’ll see where we’re at. But I’m anticipating he’ll be ready to go,” Daboll said.

–Field Level Media

Aug 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito (15) reacts after being sacked during the second half by New York Jets defensive end Braiden McGregor (91) at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Reports: Giants to bench QB Daniel Jones, start Tommy DeVito

Quarterback Daniel Jones is headed to the bench with Tommy DeVito preparing to start for the New York Giants in Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to multiple reports Monday.

The Giants emerge from their bye week with a new pecking order at quarterback, a decision foreshadowed by general manager Joe Schoen last week.

Schoen said Jones and the entire roster would be subject to evaluation of on-field performance during the bye. The GM said if Jones is benched it would not be tied to his $23 million injury guarantee.

The Giants own the league’s lowest scoring offense at an average of only 15.6 per game. New York has averaged only 13.4 points during the current five-game losing streak, with the latest setback being a 20-17 overtime loss to Carolina in Germany in which Jones threw for 190 yards and no touchdowns while getting intercepted twice.

Last week, head coach Brian Daboll declined to commit as to Jones remaining the starting quarterback coming out of the bye. Schoen echoed that sentiment a day later. Schoen insisted all decisions would be driven by what helps the Giants win games.

“It will be a football decision,” Schoen said. “Any decisions we make moving forward as we evaluate the roster and what we’re doing for the final seven games will be football decisions.”

The Giants’ interest in QB prospects in the 2024 draft was on display in the “Hard Knocks” offseason series, and they signed free agent Drew Lock from the Seattle Seahawks after meeting with Russell Wilson.

An undrafted free agent, DeVito played in nine games (six starts) as a rookie last season following Jones’ season-ending knee injury. DeVito, 26, was 3-3 as a starter, throwing for 1,101 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.

This season, Jones has completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 2,070 yards and eight touchdowns against seven interceptions. The 27-year-old is in the second year of a four-year, $160 million contract. He is due to earn $30 million in base salary in 2025, with $12 million fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league season.

Jones’ future with the franchise has come under increased scrutiny with Daboll and Schoen acknowledging that he might not finish the season as the starter.

“We have seven games left in this season and that’s what we’re focused on,” Schoen said. “I’m focused on 2024 and how we can get better these final seven games.”

Daboll and Schoen have come under scrutiny in their third season with the franchise.

Schoen said he expected to be back with the Giants next season, but didn’t directly endorse Daboll.

“We’re 2-8. So, again, we’re going to look at solutions,” Schoen said. “(Daboll is) coming in every day. He’s working hard. The team is staying together.

“He’s done a really good job, the guys are competing, keeping the locker room together. Again, there’s a lot of things that we can look at and we need to improve on.”

–Field Level Media

Jul 25, 2024; East Rutherford, NY, USA; New York Giants cornerback Nick McCloud (44) participates in a drill during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Giants’ Brian Daboll sidesteps reason for cutting starting CB

The 2-7 New York Giants made the unusual move of releasing a starting cornerback, cutting Nick McCloud and elevating Art Green from the practice squad this week.

McCloud, a fourth-year player out of Notre Dame, had started five of his seven games this season, including each of the past two weeks. However, he played in only nine defensive snaps in Sunday’s loss to Washington after logging 50 the previous week.

“Got a lot of respect for Nick, but that’s a decision that we made,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said when asked how it helped the team to cut McCloud rather than keep him as a reserve. “Bring Art up and he’s kind of going to do some of those roles.

“(Green)’s been doing a good job. Going to give him an opportunity at gunner. Some (defensive back) stuff, kind of fourth, fifth DB. He’s done a good job since he’s been here. So, that’s what we did.”

McCloud, 26, saw action in two games as an undrafted rookie with Cincinnati in 2021. He then appeared in 31 games over the past two seasons for the Giants, combining for 71 tackles with 1.5 sacks and one interception from 2022-23.

However, he has graded out as the 104th-best of 110 cornerbacks evaluated by Pro Football Focus this season.

McCloud had a one-year, $2.985 million contract and was recently approached by the salary cap-strapped team about taking a pay cut, according to the New York Post.

Daboll was asked if he was concerned about the message it might send to the locker room when a 2-7 team cuts ties with a starting player in a move reported to be financially motivated.

“I would just say that that’s a decision that we made and Art’s going to have an opportunity to do that,” Daboll said. “There’s a lot of changes on a weekly basis in the NFL and I think everybody that’s involved in it understands.”

The Giants also re-signed punter Matt Haack to the practice squad along with offensive lineman Bryan Hudson. Haack had been released Tuesday with Jamie Gillan returning from a hamstring injury.

New York is heading to Munich on Thursday to face the 2-7 Carolina Panthers this Sunday. Daboll said the decision had not been made yet whether wide receiver Darius Slayton will travel with the team as he goes through the concussion protocol.

–Field Level Media

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) looks to throw the ball during a game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.

Giants sticking with Daniel Jones at QB vs. Panthers

Daniel Jones will remain the New York Giants’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany.

Coach Brian Daboll confirmed to reporters Monday that Jones still has the job and the divvying up of practice reps won’t change, either.

A fourth straight loss Sunday against Washington sent the Giants to 2-7, tied with six other teams for the worst record in the NFL.

But Jones had one of the best games of his season, completing 20 of 26 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Jones did lose a fumble.

The sixth-year quarterback guided the Giants on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to apply pressure before the host Commanders closed out a 27-22 win.

Drew Lock remains No. 2 on the Giants’ depth chart, with Tommy DeVito the No. 3 option.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll (left) reacts to down judge Brian Sakowski (112) against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Brian Daboll on 2-6 Giants’ woes: ‘Face things head on’

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll acknowledges there is mounting frustration in and around the complex with the team falling to 2-6 and riding a three-game losing streak.

Since pulling off an upset victory in Week 5 at Seattle, the Giants have been outscored 71-28 in losses to Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. They enter a Week 9 game against Washington with a minus-58 scoring margin and sit ahead of only the 1-7 Carolina Panthers in the NFC.

“You face things head on, things you got to fix. Be consistent,” Daboll said on Wednesday. “You don’t want to have downs, you’re going to have them. But you got to remain consistent in the leadership part of it. Communicate well. Go through the things that you can improve and then really focus on the things that you need to do for this week.

“But these guys care a tremendous amount. They work well together. There’s a lot of respect on both sides. I’d say the coaches and the players. Everybody’s doing everything they can.”

Part of the fan frustration is an 0-4 record at home, where the Giants’ only competitive effort was a 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. They have an opportunity to reverse those fortunes with five of their next six games being at MetLife Stadium.

It starts with the Commanders on Sunday, followed by the Panthers and then Tampa Bay visits following the Giants’ Week 11 bye.

New York enters Sunday’s game with the league’s 26th-ranked offense and 23rd-ranked passing game, while the Giants are second to last averaging 14.6 points per game.

“You got to continue to work at it and execute and to move the ball and finish plays in the scoring zone,” Daboll said of the struggling offense.

The Giants have given up 26 sacks through eight games, and the pass protection issues have been magnified by the injury to left tackle Andrew Thomas. Backup Joshua Ezeudu missed Wednesday’s practice while getting his knee drained, although Daboll expects him to play Sunday.

Still up in the air is the status of rookie running back Tyrone Tracy, who is in the league’s concussion protocol. Tracy has provided a spark to the offense with a 5.2-yard average on 73 yards. He leads the team with 376 rushing yards to veteran Devin Singletary’s 250. Tracy ripped off a season-long run of 45 yards against the Steelers.

“Those big plays, we had a few more of those, allow you to (move the ball into the scoring zone). You got to capitalize once you’re down there,” Daboll said.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) is hit by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Giants coach confirms Daniel Jones remains QB1

The Giants lost their third straight game Monday night but Daniel Jones did not lose the starting quarterback job.

New York head coach Brian Daboll confirmed Tuesday that Jones remains the starter heading into Week 9.

“He did some good things throughout the game, made some good decisions, made some good checks,” Daboll said of Jones’ performance in the 26-18 loss at Pittsburgh.

Jones completed 24 of 38 passes for 264 yards with no touchdowns and turned the ball over twice in Steelers territory in the final three minutes. He fumbled on a strip-sack by T.J. Watt with 2:59 remaining and his tipped pass was intercepted by Beanie Bishop with 34 seconds left.

“I thought he pushed the ball down the field and gave our guys some opportunities to make, which that was a great throw to Slay (Darius Slayton), a couple good throws to Malik (Nabers) and he’s been working hard on that, and I think that showed,” Daboll said. “And he did a good job of operating the plays and the checks and things that we had in that environment.

“So, I thought he did some good things and then ultimately … at the end there, it’s all of us. We just didn’t get it done.”

Asked to clarify that Jones remains the QB1 moving forward, Daboll answered: “He is.”

Jones’ status appeared to be on shaky ground heading into Monday’s game after he was benched in New York’s 28-3 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, replaced in the fourth quarter by Drew Lock.

Jones has completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 1,706 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions through six starts this season, his sixth with the Giants. He has been sacked 25 times.

The Giants (2-6) play host to the NFC East-leading Washington Commanders (6-2) on Sunday afternoon.

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA;  New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) sacked by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Giants coach: Daniel Jones remains QB1

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll confirmed Monday that Daniel Jones will remain the starting quarterback in Week 8 despite benching him in Sunday’s loss.

Daboll said after Sunday’s 28-3 setback against the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles that he removed Jones in the fourth quarter to “create a spark,” but added Jones would be the starter moving forward.

Daboll reiterated Monday that Jones will be under center when the Giants (2-5) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) next Monday night.

“He’s the starter,” Daboll said. “He gives us the best chance.”

Daboll yanked Jones and inserted Drew Lock on Sunday, a move Jones admitted he “didn’t like.” Jones finished 14-of-21 passing for 99 yards and was sacked seven times. Lock didn’t fare much better, going 3 for 8 for 6 yards.

Jones, 27, has completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 1,442 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions in seven starts this season, his sixth with the Giants.

–Field Level Media