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The start of the New York Giants’ 2024 offseason has been filled with organizational leaks and general discord surrounding head coach Brian Daboll.
Despite that, the Giants HC just got a major vote of confidence from ex-NFL All-Pro running back Tiki Barber — who, of course, holds the NYG franchise record for rushing yards at 10,449.
“I keep hearing these nonsense takes, ‘It’s an indictment on Brian Daboll that Mike Kafka might not be here,'” Barber voiced on WFAN on January 19. “Maybe Mike Kafka just wasn’t good here, and it was more of an indictment on Mike Kafka.”
“Same thing with [special teams coordinator Thomas] McGaughey,” the former NYG star continued. “I’d watch special teams for the Giants and be frustrated that those guys didn’t know what the hell they were doing. Is it on Daboll, or is it on Daboll to hold him accountable, which he did? Is it on Daboll to hold his offensive coordinator accountable? He did, sometimes taking the play calling away from him. That’s what a good head coach does.”
“Maybe the coordinators sucked in those moments [of criticism]!” Barber concluded. “You should have a problem with them.”
Organizational Leaks Have Worked Against Giants HC Brian Daboll in 2024
In case you missed it, this entire conversation stems from disparaging information. One reveal, in particular — courtesy of New York Daily News media member Pat Leonard — spoke of a feeling of “toxicity” inside the building.
“This is about the Giants as a process, which is still broken and viewed as broken,” Leonard said on his podcast, Talkin’ Ball. “There are still people in the building, and one staffer advised a coach calling about a vacancy and said not to come here because the environment has a toxicity to it.”
It’s one thing if former employees are disgruntled — like ex-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale or McGaughey. It’s another if current Big Blue employees are impacting potential hires.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan also hinted that Kafka might want out of New York next on his Breaking Big Blue podcast. “He is unhappy,” Raanan stated, adding that he’s heard that from “five, six [or] seven people.”
This is consistent with Leonard’s reporting. The Daily News insider relayed that “if there’s any consistent element of the [coaching] dynamic that people did not like about this season, it wasn’t Daboll-Martindale, it was Daboll-Kafka.”
“Numerous sources told me… that [Kafka] has received the brunt of Daboll’s fury,” Leonard explained. “One source says he is constantly second-guessed.”
It’s difficult to replace two coordinators in one offseason. Three would be a massive challenge for Daboll and the Giants — which makes Kafka’s future something that bears watching.
Brian Daboll’s Special Teams Coordinator Search Takes Shape
Speaking of Giants staff news, Raanan provided an update on the special teams coordinator search on January 21.
“The Giants interviewed Larry Izzo on Saturday for their special teams coordinator job, per sources,” he informed. “The most experienced known candidate to date.”
Izzo was with the Giants as an assistant from 2011 through 2015. He’s been the Seattle Seahawks ST coordinator for the past three seasons.
There are now four known candidates for the job according to Raanan. They are Izzo, Matt Harper (San Francisco 49ers assistant), Carlos Polk (Chicago Bears assistant) and Michael Ghobrial (New York Jets assistant).
The eventual NYG hires might shed some light on how the NFL community views Daboll. At this stage, only running backs coach Joel Thomas has joined the staff.
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Giants Record Holder Backs Brian Daboll Amid Reports of ‘Toxicity’