Giants president John Mara says Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll's jobs are safe
Giants owner John Mara looks on during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Center, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in East Rutherford. Credit: Corey Sipkin
Despite the Giants’ poor start, general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll are not going anywhere — not only during this season, but likely not after it, either.
Team president John Mara made that clear on Wednesday night with a strong show of support.
“Obviously, we’re all very disappointed with where we are right now,” he told reporters in Manhattan after the screening of a new documentary about his father, Wellington.
“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.
“I’m not going to dissect individual players’ performances or the offense versus the defense or anything like that. I just wanted to make that statement and that’s all I’m going to say about the team.”
Mara said there would be a time and place for a detailed analysis after the season.
The Giants are 2-5 overall and 0-4 at home. They have scored one touchdown at MetLife Stadium.
When asked whether the team has a long way to go before proving that its arrow is pointing up, Mara said, “Absolutely. We’re 2-5.”
So why the faith in Schoen and Daboll, who are in their third seasons with the team?
“Just the process that they have, being in the meetings with them, talking about where they see this going forward, talking about their evaluation of our personnel,” Mara said. “I still have confidence in both of them.”
Mara spoke minutes after watching the documentary, “The Duke: The Giant Life of Wellington Mara,” which was produced by NFL Films and will premiere on NFL Network at 8 p.m. on Friday.
Asked to name something he took from his father’s example, Mara said, “I think trying to be more patient than maybe I’ve been in recent years.
“He preached that all the time, and I’ve probably been guilty of not being patient enough in recent years, and that’s one of the reasons I’m committed to Joe and Brian Daboll and giving them a chance to turn this thing around.”
The Giants’ past three coaches have not made it to a third season, let alone a fourth.
Is being patient more challenging than ever in this era?
“It’s very difficult,” Mara said, “because the last 10, 12 years have not been very good for our fans, and it makes it particularly difficult. But you’ve got to do the right thing, and we’re committed to doing that and we’re committed to seeing this process through.”
The film includes scenes of a beaming Wellington Mara celebrating good times over the decades. His eldest son is trying to get the team back to that point, 13 seasons removed from its last Super Bowl.
“[It means] more than you could ever know, believe me,” he said of getting the ship righted. “This has been difficult for me and for my family and particularly for our fans, and that’s something that affects me the most.”
Mara declined to discuss quarterback Daniel Jones’ performance thus far.
“It’s obvious we’re struggling on offense right now, but there are a lot of reasons for that, and I don’t want to get into critiquing individual players,” he said.
The Giants made a financial commitment to Jones while letting running back Saquon Barkley go to the Eagles. Barkley rushed for 176 yards against the Giants in a 28-3 Eagles victory on Sunday.
“Listen, he knows how I feel about him,” said Mara, who was heard on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” this summer expressing his reluctance to have Barkley go to Philadelphia. “I can’t say that I was surprised by the game that he had.
“We greeted each other before the game. He’s a great player. Not only was he a great player for us, but the way he represented us off the field, too, was something that I’ll always appreciate him for, and he knows that.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell was among the many football luminaries at the film screening at the Paley Center. “There’s no question, you can’t write the history of the NFL without Wellington Mara,” he said.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
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