As the Giants' final huddle of the season begins, Wan'Dale Robinson and his teammates pondered what will happen Monday regarding Brian Daboll.
“I inferred from the way Daves spoke in the team meeting, and obviously everyone was notified,” Robinson said.
Based on Daboll's demeanor and message, there was speculation that he would stay.
Despite an embarrassing 2024 season in which the Giants went 3-14 and suffered the most losses in franchise history, a notification on their phones confirms Daboll and general manager Joe Schon will return in 2025. It was officially announced.
“I wasn't necessarily surprised or taken aback,” guard John Runyan Jr. said. “I didn't think they would be let go.
“I feel comfortable with them. They have a vision that they've established here and they're going to continue to drive that forward, and I think the guys here will buy into that and believe in it.”
Daboll said he did hear from co-owner John Mara that he would be returning Monday morning, but even though it was a relief, he kept those feelings and others to himself.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do. Obviously, 3-14 is not enough.”
Afterward, he called his position with the Giants a “huge honor” and stressed that he “must do a better job.”
The players are more aligned with the head coach than with the front office, and the news that Daboll would be returning for a fourth season brought peace to the locker room.
“Joe knows what he's doing, Daves knows what he's doing,” offensive tackle Jermaine Elemunah said.
“It means everything,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “Continuity is important in this league. He's a great leader and a really good coach, so I'm excited to have him back. I've been in a lot of different regimes, so it's great to start over.” I know what it's like. It's not always easy.”
Despite suffering a franchise-record 10-game losing streak and having an affair with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Giants have no intention of starting over — they own the No. 3 pick.
“I don't think change is always the best thing,” Robinson said. “We don't know what's going to happen every time the situation changes. We could end up in the same situation, or it could be worse.”
It can't get any worse.
Robinson said Daboll expressed in his meeting that he was proud of his players for coming ready to play each day. In explaining why he decided to keep Daboll, co-owner John Mara said the team's unity was one positive on Daboll's books.
“Probably so,” Robinson said. “Mr. Mara attends practices quite often, so I don't think she's seen the way we practice and doesn't think things are slouching or there's a lack of effort or anything like that. ”
Change takes a toll on everyone in the building. There's a sense of security that doesn't happen to those in charge of a team.
“The leader, he controls the room, he's smart, he's a student of the game, he really shares his knowledge with us, he cares about his heart, and everyone sees that. I think so,” Runyan said of Daboll. “He's a really emotional leader and he gets his players ready to go out there and perform, but for some reason things didn't work out this year. I believe in him and his system. , will continue to be satisfied with it.
“I think everyone in this locker room would say they really like Daveth. Everybody's really excited that he's going to be here for another year.”
