There’s a feeling of déjà vu in East Rutherford. For the third straight season under head coach Brian Daboll, the New York Giants find themselves bogged down in mediocrity. Ownership has made it clear that this season was meant to be a turning point, yet the team sits at 2-7, a mark identical to that of 2023 and 2024.
Why Brian Daboll Should Get Another Year but Joe Schoen Shouldn’t
Even so, there’s a compelling case to give Daboll one more year to prove himself, especially with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart now at the helm and a roster undergoing transition. What complicates that calculus is the role of general manager Joe Schoen, whose decisions hang like lead weights over Daboll’s future.
1) Daboll Inherited a Mess and Made the QB Decision
The Giants’ coaching stability was already under pressure when Daboll arrived in 2022. After a 9-7-1 season and a playoff win in Year 1, the team stumbled to 6-11 in 2023 and then 3-14 in 2024.
This is my favorite clip from draft night — because you can see what Joe Schoen’s doing. He’s making sure everyone hears that this was Brian Daboll’s guy, not his. Schoen didn’t believe it would work because Jaxson Dart wasn’t a consensus pick — and that’s exactly how Schoen… pic.twitter.com/Ui9v6Cwerr
— FantasyFootballAnonymous (@fantasyanony) November 4, 2025
Yet this year, the priority became identifying the franchise quarterback, and Dart’s entering the fold is part of the long-term vision. Give Daboll the chance to operate through one full rookie QB cycle.
2) Roster Transition Needs Time
New York’s talent base is still being rebuilt. The injury to key pieces, uneven offensive output, and repeated fourth-quarter collapses have not all rested on Daboll. Some of the blame lies in roster construction, rather than sideline decisions. That said, while Daboll is wrestling with issues that stem from the roster, it’s still his job to extract performance from what’s available.
3) Roster Is Still Schoen’s Construction
Schoen has overseen multiple drafts and free agent moves now, yet the club’s progress remains minimal. PFSN’s Impact metrics show the Giants’ ranking near the bottom on both sides of the ball, despite significant investments in skill-position upgrades. If the roster does not improve substantially, the responsibility for stagnation falls more directly on Schoen’s portfolio than Daboll’s execution.
4) Coaching Continuity Benefits a Rookie QB
Rushing to fire Daboll now risks undoing the continuity needed for Dart to develop. Ownership’s public statements earlier this year supported giving the coach a fair shot if Dart showed promise.
Stability could be the smarter path this offseason, given that Dart is still learning and the offensive identity is in flux.
5) Wins Matter, and Schoen Must Answer for Them
Nothing excuses repeated losing seasons. The Giants are 11-32 since the end of the 2022 campaign. At some point, the general manager must show the team is trending upward.
Daboll may benefit from the rookie wave, but if Schoen cannot build a competitive roster, the coach’s chances of success will remain compromised.
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Daboll does not deserve a clean slate; his record is far too poor for that. However, he may merit one more season under the right conditions: consistent quarterback development, a more apparent identity on offense, and measurable improvement.
Meanwhile, Schoen’s performance as general manager demands closer scrutiny. The next 12 months could redefine the Giants’ trajectory, and the decisions made now will determine who is deemed responsible for success or failure.
