Giants Adjusting After Head Coach Firing
This week has been a whirlwind for Shea Tierney, the quarterbacks coach for the Giants.
His longtime mentor, Brian Daboll—who guided him since their time together at Alabama, then the Bills, and most recently the Giants—was let go as head coach. With Jackson Dart sidelined and Russell Wilson moved down the ranks, Jameis Winston is now stepping up as the starting quarterback.
“I miss him and I love him,” Tierney reflected on Daboll. “I’m thankful for all he’s done for me.”
In the shuffle, Tierney was also reassigned from offensive coordinator by interim head coach Mike Kafka, who opted to elevate tight ends coach Tim Kelly to that position.
Kelly carries a wealth of experience from his time calling plays with the Texans and Titans.
“I’m really happy for Tim. He’s done well in this role,” Tierney shared. “I don’t think you ever really hold onto hope for a promotion in these situations. You have to think about what’s best for the team.”
This marks the third quarterback the Giants have started in just four seasons with Tierney in his position.
“We’re prepared with Jameis; I know he’ll rise to the occasion. And Russ has been a great support through all this,” Tierney said. “Jameis brings energy, focus, and experience. His rapport in the boardroom is palpable—he’s always uplifting others.”
Currently, several players, including Dart, DL Chauncey Golston, OG Evan Neal, WR Darius Slayton, and OLB Kayvon Thibodeau, haven’t practiced and are ruled out for the upcoming game against the Packers.
Additionally, SAFETY Tyler Nubin and DT Rakeem Nunez-Rochus are questionable due to injuries.
This list could remain as is unless someone ends up on injured reserve, which could potentially include Neal, who has yet to see any playtime this season.
There’s also uncertainty surrounding LB Bobby Okereke and CB Paulson Adebo, who are both questionable but have returned to practice.
Interestingly, Dart participated in stretches on Friday for the first time since suffering a concussion. He’s believed to be in the middle stages of a five-step recovery protocol and, without complications, may be able to join practice again next week.
Daboll’s dismissal brought back memories for Giants’ secondary coach Marquand Manuel. He experienced a similar situation with the Jets last year when Robert Saleh was let go mid-season.
“We felt like we let him down,” Manuel admitted. “It keeps me up at night—wondering if I could have done more. Now it’s about the next game. You never know when your time in the league will end; I learned a lot along the way.”
As interim coaches go, Jeff Ulbrich’s performance with the Jets was lackluster, finishing with a 3-9 record. Kafka is currently proving himself for a permanent role, after interviewing with a number of other teams for head coach positions.
Manuel noted the talent present, stating, “We have good players. The previous coaches recognized that, so we need to ensure we put our best foot forward.”
In what would have been a calmer week, the return of Xavier McKinney would have garnered more attention. McKinney, who had a standout season last year after leaving the Giants, recorded 10 interceptions in his games with the Packers.
“He’s a key player for us,” Kafka pointed out, “He’s essential in unifying the defense, so it’s crucial we always know where he is on the field.”
