This past season was one of the worst years in the New York Giants’ 100-year history.
They finished 3-14, saw their former star running back Saquon Barkley rack up over 2,000 rushing yards with division rival Philadelphia Eagles, released $40 million quarterback Daniel Jones, were undisciplined for much of the season, and despite being tied for the worst record in the NFL, they will pick third overall in the upcoming draft.
Even though the season was an abject failure, Giants owner John Mara has decided to bring back general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. Both Schoen and Daboll were hired ahead of the 2022 season and led the Giants to a surprising playoff berth with a 9-7-1 record. However, it’s been downhill since then, with six and three wins in the next two seasons.
The Giants have several holes to fill, with the most pressing need coming at quarterback. It remains to be seen if they will try to sign a veteran quarterback (Sam Darnold?) or take one in the draft. However, with the front office’s struggles at identifying the right players, will they be able to fill those holes with competent competitors?
League source rips New York Giants moves to NFL insider
On top of allowing Barkley to walk, ESPN NFL insider Jordan Ranaan pointed out other incidents where New York’s front office faltered.
The Giants failed to upgrade the backup tackle position following Andrew Thomas’ season-ending injury in 2023. Instead, they stuck with third-year lineman Joshua Ezeudu to serve as backup again, despite his struggles filling in for Thomas previously.
It came full circle in 2024 when Thomas went down after six games, forcing Ezeudu into action. He immediately struggled, was benched, and replaced by Chris Hubbard, who also wasn’t a natural left tackle and whom the Giants signed off the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad. The moves failed, and Ezeudu returned to guard, which most teams viewed him as coming out of the draft in 2022, in Week 18.
Additionally, after releasing Jones, they passed over backup Drew Lock in favor of No. 3 QB Tommy DeVito. The team would eventually replace DeVito due to injury and switch quarterbacks three more times before the end of the season.
“It’s like they make moves off Twitter,” a league source with knowledge of the Giants’ inner workings told ESPN’s Ranaan.
If Schoen and Daboll aren’t able to turn things around in 2025, they will soon be out of a job.
Related: Hard Knocks Episode 3: Joe Schoen ignored New York Giants owner’s desire to keep Saquon Barkley
