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They say it’s best not to dwell on the past, but when you’re sitting at 2-12 heading into Week 16 like the New York Giants are in 2024, decisions of the past tend to haunt you more and more.
A new story came to light on December 17 after New York Post reporter Paul Schwartz published an article claiming that Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll may not be a package deal after all. Meaning, president and CEO John Mara could choose to fire one and keep the other.
While reacting to said article, NY Times bestselling author and sports insider Ian O’Connor chimed in, adding: “The Giants loved Adam Peters as a GM candidate but loved Joe Schoen just a bit more. They thought John Harbaugh’s guy in Baltimore, Joe Hortiz, was a bit nervous in his interview, but he was going to hire Jim Harbaugh as Giants head coach.”
“What could have been?” O’Connor concluded the comment. Needless to say, this tiny bit of information created quite a stir around the NYG community.
Giants GM Joe Schoen Must Find Franchise Quarterback If He’s Going to Save NYG Tenure
It’s no secret that O’Connor’s reveal isn’t exactly a great look for the Giants in hindsight, being that Peters has the division rival Washington Commanders franchise in the current NFC playoff bracket in his first season at the helm and the Hortiz/Harbaugh combination has similarly turned the Los Angeles Chargers into an immediate contender in the AFC.
It should be noted that both the Commanders and Chargers have their franchise quarterbacks in place. LAC already drafted Justin Herbert before Hortiz and Harbaugh got there, while Peters was fortunate enough to be in position to select Jayden Daniels — a player Big Blue expressed interest in — in 2024.
Schoen and Daboll have yet to find theirs, and they’re back to square one in that regard after moving on from quarterback Daniel Jones.
Of course, this pair of Giants decision makers also agreed to commit to Jones long-term after their first season on the job — a decision that has set the organization back several years.
Giants Prove That You Can’t Judge a Regime Based on 1 Year
While Peters and Hortiz are certainly off to a hot start with the Commanders and Chargers, Schoen and Daboll prove that you cannot judge a new regime based on one year.
After the 2022 campaign, Schoen and Daboll were being viewed as the saviors of the franchise. Even those who didn’t believe in Jones believed in the two-man brain trust calling the shots, and that was enough to restore confidence in the organization as a whole.
Clearly, that confidence was a bit premature.
Schoen and Daboll now find themselves on the proverbial hot seat just two years later at the tail end of the 2024 season. Will Peters or Hortiz suffer the same fate?
It’s impossible to say, but Peters and Hortiz both have two things Schoen didn’t.
One, an unquestioned franchise QB, as stated above. And two, an experienced head coach who has done the job before.
Commanders HC Dan Quinn once took the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl while Harbaugh flaunts just about as impressive of a coaching resume as there is around the league. For all his success in year one, Daboll does not have the same NFL track record to call upon when times get tough — and neither does Schoen.
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