After the New York Giants announced news that head coach Brian Daboll would be fired following the team’s Week 10 loss, the franchise quickly noted that general manager Joe Schoen would not be let go at this time.
They also informed fans that Schoen would be running the new HC hiring search, hinting that they will retain him as the GM in 2026 and beyond. However, that may not be the case, according to New York Times insider and The Athletic columnist Ian O’Connor.
“I don’t believe Joe Schoen is certain to be [the] Giants’ GM next year,” O’Connor shared on November 11.
Explaining: “[The Giants] needed someone to get things going on the search, especially with John Mara dealing with his illness. Ownership will make the final call on the coach in January, when I’d expect Schoen to be reviewed again.”
In other words, Schoen is heading the next coaching search for now, but if Mara and ownership are not pleased with the results — of either the coaching search or the remainder of the 2025 season — in January, he could still be shown the door, too.
This little curveball differs from the national reporting surrounding the status of Schoen, but it’s possible that the Giants have yet to decide if their current GM will stay or go.
Mike Kafka’s HC Audition Could Do Wonders for Joe Schoen If Giants Perform Down the Stretch
GettyNew York Giants interim HC Mike Kafka (left) could help save the job of general manager Joe Schoen, while also legitimizing his coaching candidacy.
There is one scenario that might really bolster Schoen’s resume as general manager. Upon firing Daboll, the claim from the Giants was that Schoen has found talent and that the NYG coaching staff simply has not done enough with the players they have been given.
In one sense, it could be argued that Daboll has been made the scapegoat. In another, one could make the case for Schoen if the Giants turn things around under interim HC Mike Kafka.
Kafka has received head coaching interviews from different organizations in recent years despite the Giants’ lack of success. He has not received an HC job offer before this interim position.
For those thinking the season is over, this Kafka audition is much more important than it seems.
For starters, if Kafka can right the ship and stack some wins down the stretch, it’s possible the Giants choose the familiarity route and hire him as the next head coach. More importantly, any Kafka success would likely secure Schoen for the 2026 season, confirming Mara’s belief that this roster is better than the record suggests.
If Kafka and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen crash and burn without Daboll, displaying even more dysfunction and warts than previously realized, that sort of turn of events could encourage Mara and company to clean house, as O’Connor alluded.
Giants’ Kafka, Schoen Have Big Decision to Make in Week 11 After Firing Brian Daboll
Kafka and Schoen will be tested right away in Week 11, as their tenure without Daboll begins.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart is in concussion protocol and might not be cleared in time to start, presenting a major decision for the new Giants’ braintrust. Start the struggling veteran and Week 1 starter, Russell Wilson, or turn things over to boom-or-bust third-stringer Jameis Winston.
Decisions like these, and the results that follow, could come into play at the end of the year if and when ownership reevaluates the rest of their staff.
NYC Insider Delivers Giants, Joe Schoen Curveball After Brian Daboll Firing