Giants' John Mara "Desires" to Keep Brian Daboll in 2025

 Despite reports on Saturday to the contrary, there is a belief in many circles that Giants co-owner John Mara wishes to keep Brian Daboll as Head Coach for the 2025 season. 

As was reported by CBS' Jonathan Jones, and later by Giants Wire on USA Today, the Giants would like to avoid yet another coaching search, and that the owner has been very much aware of key decisions within the organization.  Just look back at Hard Knocks last Spring when Mara was seen consistently in Joe Schoen's office discussing Saquon Barkley's future. 

If true, one can understands this. The Giants have been a revolving door over the past decade at Head Coach. Following Tom Coughlin's departure in 2015, the Giants have had four different full time head coaches (five if you count Steve Spagnuolo's four games as interim Head Coach in 2017).  

Each of them: Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge each lasted only two seasons in New York. This is year three for Daboll, who was the AP Coach of the Year two-seasons ago in 2022 when the Giants made a shocking run to the divisional round of the playoffs. 

"There’s a belief Mara may not feel he’s assured of getting a better coach than Daboll, the 2022 NFL Coach of the Year. Daboll is considered one of the best quarterback coaches in the league, and Big Blue is certain to have a new quarterback on the roster next year" (GIANTS WIRE).

No doubt there needs to be improvement with the G-Men. Nine wins and 24 losses the past two years is unacceptable under any circumstance, and it's not like Daboll is alone to blame. A lot of blame can be directed all around from ownership on down to Schoen at GM. They decided as a group to let Saquon Barkley walk, which he did ultimately to Philadelphia where he ran for 2,005 yards this year. 

They also gave Daniel Jones a monster four year deal, which he never completed as he was outright released at mid-season. 

The Giants need to get the quarterback right in 2025. They will have a top 10 pick no matter what happens in Week 18 on Sunday. While this draft is not quarterback heavy, there is always the chance someone drops, or they could try to orchestrate a trade.  

Minnesota's rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a name to keep an eye on if the Vikings do indeed extend or franchise tag Sam Darnold. 

So while nothing is certain, it appears there is a lean toward Daboll returning for next season.

Jets First in Line to Interview Mike Vrabel; Interview with Rex Ryan Coming...

The New York Jets were the first in line to interview head coaching candidate Mike Vrabel for their vacancy on Friday. And word is from Connor Hughes of SNY is that the interview went very, very, very well. 

That is a good news for Gang Green. The Jets had their ducks in a row, and got a chance to make an impression on the man who is considered the top candidate among NFL circles. A lot of teams are going to want to talk with Vrabel. 

 The Bears, Saints and Raiders all expected to jump in. The Patriots could jump into the mix should they fire Jerod Mayo on Friday. 

There is also the possibility that the Giants could join the mix should they let go of Brian Daboll. Keep in mind that the Giants also employ Ryan Cowden, who worked closely with Vrabel back in Tennessee. Cowden is the Giants assistant GM. Perhaps the Giants dangle that as fruit should they pursue Vrabel for themselves. 

As for the Jets, while the Vrabel news is good. Keep in mind he is going to want a number of things: 1) a General Manager he can work with, 2) a stable organization, and 3) a clear quarterback situation. 

This doesn't necessarily scream Jets. Perhaps, the Jets can get permission from the Giants to interview Cowden for their GM spot. Stay tuned on that one. If Big Blue keeps Joe Schoen, perhaps they allow it. We'll see. 

 Meanwhile there are rumors the Jets wish list could get smaller. Aaron Glenn is perceived to be a favorite for the New Orleans Saints job. That doesn't mean it will happen, but it is an interesting development nonetheless. 

 

At the same time Gang Green is expected to interview Rex Ryan for the position on Tuesday. Ryan coached the Jets from 2009 - 2014, and took the team to back-to-back AFC title games in 2009 and 2010. He has professed a love for the Jets job. At the very least the Jets are doing him a service by granting him the opportunity to interview. 

That being said, don't totally discount it. If the Jets options dry up, suddenly a Ryan candidacy becomes  a real thing. 

Also, rumors are circling that the Jets have expressed interest in Steelers OC Arthur Smith and Washington OC Kliff Kingsbury for the head coach vacancy. Neither was successful as Head Coaches in their first stints with Arizona and Atlanta respectively, and won't be a popular choice among the fan base. 

Like Rex Ryan's candidacy, don't discount this either with Smith or Kingsbury.  The Jets are said to be looking for a head coach with experience. If they lose out on Vrabel, they might end up going this route instead. 

 

Giants' Head Coach Brian Daboll Not Safe

 The New York Giants could be looking for a Head Coach come Sunday night. There are reports and rumors that Big Blue could look to move on from Head Coach Brian Daboll after three seasons on the job, while retaining embattled General Manager Joe Schoen.

The latest rumors come from the Athletics Diana Russini. 

This is not going to be a popular choice among Giants fans, should the franchise do it. Many pin a lot of the franchises' personnel issues on Schoen, who became the face of the botched Saquon Barkley negotiation that became public last summer on Hard Knocks.  

A lot of people feel that if the Giants part ways with Daboll, they should do so with Schoen as well. 

That being said, it is not 100 percent certain that the Giants will make this move. There is a sense that owner John Mara wants to keep both Daboll and Schoen. 

Albert Breer and Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated expressed a belief that Daboll deserves the opportunity to keep his job for 2025 as the Giants will have a top draft pick to select a new franchise quarterback.

 The Giants have had a lot of instability over the past decade, firing three coaches in a six-year span. Daboll would be the fourth full time head coach the Giants have fired since Tom Coughlin's departure at the end of the 2015 season. 

Should the Giants move on from Daboll there is no shortage of candidates including Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Kliff Kingsbury, and perhaps former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. 

 

Boldest Predictions for Sports in 2025

 As I wrote for Fox Sports Radio New Jersey, 2024 was a year to remember. 

It was a wild and woolly year, one that had both joy, sadness, and well misery all rolled into ball, and, you known what — sports-wise — we wouldn’t want to have it any other way. 

 

From the Mets riding a the wave of Grimace and OMG all the way to the NLCS, to the Yankees return to the Fall Classic for the first time in 15 years, and of course the New York Liberty winning their first ever WNBA Finals title, there was a lot to smile about in 2024.

Then there are the Jets and Giants. Woof. 

Click the link here to check out our BOLDEST, and I mean BOLDEST predictions for the New Year possible. 

 

Jets Plan to Interview Ron Rivera; Rex Ryan also Interested

 The New York Jets are about to embark on their long awaited search for the 22nd Head Coach in franchise history, and by all indications, the Jets could be looking for a guy with experience. 

Multiple reports confirmed Monday that the Jets are set to interview ex-Panthers and Washington Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera for the job. 

Rivera hasn't coached in over a year since his departure from Washington following a 4-13 campaign in 2023.

 Nicknamed "Riverboat Ron" for his willingness to think outside the box and take risks in-game, Rivera is an interesting candidate. He was a Coach of the Year winner, and took the Panthers to the Super Bowl about a decade ago. He's been the playoffs multiple times, including one playoff stop with Washington in his first year with the team. 

Yet, overall, Rivera is under .500 as a coach. 102-103-2 to be exact. 

His teams in Carolina were loaded talent-wise. Washington was a different animal entirely as he tried to guide the franchise despite continued off-field issues surrounding former Commanders owner Dan Snyder. 

Is Rivera a top choice? Probably not. Is he the right choice? Not likely, but that doesn't mean it isn't an interesting pursuit to see the Jets consider him. 

Now as for Rex Ryan, the former Jets Head Coach has wanted back in for a while. He's been campaigning for the job openly on ESPN since October. 

On the Jake Asman Show on ESPN NY, Rex stated that he believes he will interview for his old job rather soon. Should the Jets go down this road? 

It's not unusual for teams to saddle up again with their former Head Coach.  Joe Gibbs went back to Washington after more than a decade away in 2004. But he never again came close to duplicating the Super Bowl efforts he had previously with the then-Redskins. Instead Washington under Gibbs in the mid 00s made the playoffs only twice, and were knocked out each time. 

Bringing back Rex Ryan and all of his bluster is a risky move. While one can applaud Ryan for being the one true candidate who wants to coach here, and has a passion for the franchise, going all in on round two of Rex Ryan in today's game just seems inconceivable. 

 While it's a start, figure the Jets are going to search long and hard for the next coach of this franchise.

Did Giants Cost Themselves Top Pick with Win?

 It's the question Giants fans have been asking since Sunday's 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts, did Big Blue botch its chances of getting the top quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft. 

 No doubt the easiest route to securing that so-called "franchise QB" out of the draft is to have that top first overall pick in the draft, but as we all know, it generally doesn't guarantee anything. 

Sure Sheduer Sanders and Cam Ward are both very talented players, but let's not act like the 2025 draft class at the quarterback position is like the 1983 draft class, or the 2004 draft class, or even the 2018 draft class. 

There is no John Elway here. No Dan Marino. No Eli Manning. No Big Ben, and no Josh Allen. 

And when you look at the teams around the Giants, like the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans there are no guarantees that any of these teams will select a quarterback in the draft. Meaning that there is a chance that either Sanders or Ward could drop to the Giants. 

Of course if Big Blue doesn't want to play the waiting game, they don't have to, they could always trade up, a risky gamble, but that is out there. 

So sure, winning on Sunday hurt the Giants chances of landing the first overall pick, but it won't stop this franchise - no matter who is running it -- from selecting the next "franchise QB."