Giants GM Joe Schoen 'frustrated,' vows to learn from mistakes and turn organization around
The Giants’ loss to the Patriots Monday laid bare a team that's sinking toward one of the worst two-year stretches in franchise history despite the infusion of an exciting rookie quarterback and a highly-touted defensive draft pick.
General manager Joe Schoen didn’t mince words at his bye week conference Tuesday. Five wins over the last 30 games? Not good enough. Two wins this season? Not where the Giants want to be.
“I understand the frustration from fans, ownership, the people inside the building, and nobody’s more frustrated than myself,” Schoen said at the team facility. “It starts with me and I’m tasked with trying to get this organization going back in the proper direction. And the standard is to compete for championships year in and year out.”
The Giants would be happy just to compete for a playoff spot. This season will be the eighth time in nine years they finish with double-digit losses.
The front office invested $106.3 million this season in free agency, third most of any team, and added two first-round picks in Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart. The result? Being 2-11 for the second straight year and 5-25 since the start of 2024.
Coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen paid for the struggles last month when they were both fired. Schoen, who was hired right before Daboll in 2022, was spared and is set to spearhead the coaching search despite constructing a roster that’s underachieved the last three seasons.
“My hand’s in it, just like Brian’s is,” Schoen said. “Ownership made a decision to move on and again, I’m going to control what I can and that’s support [interim coach Mike] Kafka moving forward. I wish Dabs nothing but the best and we’re going to do everything we can to get this franchise back to where it should be.”
Schoen often added that the entire football operation will be evaluated after the season. With the Giants off for a week, there will be plenty to dissect and ponder before the final four games.
Can a defense ranked 32nd in rushing and 30th in total yards and points allowed get right? Will the Giants win at the Raiders to avoid their first winless road season since 1976? Will Dart finish his rookie season without another major injury?
Schoen praised Dart for exceeding expectations with his play and leadership. He complemented his competitive edge but also added his two cents on how Dart can protect himself from taking too many hits.
He deemed the hit that Dart took from Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss as “probably unnecessary.” Schoen understands the challenge of navigating a young, fearless quarterback from his experience with Josh Allen in the star's first few seasons with the Bills.
Nevertheless, he wants Dart to be more mindful without losing the crux of what makes him special.
“What makes Jaxson great is his competitiveness, his desire to win,” Schoen said. “That’s the way he’s wired. So you try to find a fine line between playing smart but also not taking away what makes him great.”
Dart said he’ll be focused on football during the bye week. It’ll be a chance for him and the Giants to reflect and assess before hosting the Commanders in two weeks.
“Obviously it’s very important for us to finish these next four weeks out strong,” Dart said. “We have a lot of guys that are coming back next year so you want to carry that momentum over.”
As for Carter’s second benching in three weeks, Schoen stood behind Kafka’s decision. He didn’t believe it would be a lingering issue, as he trusts the Giants’ coaches and veterans to help Carter learn from his mistakes.
“Abdul is a young man that’s 21 years old, that’s smart and understands the magnitude of his actions and also understands what it means to be a pro,” Schoen said. “These kids are 21 years old when they’re thrust into the spotlight in New York City. It’s not always going to be perfect.
Neither are the Giants under Schoen. A new coach in 2026 can help, but in the meantime the current forecast is bleak.
Schoen hoped that would change, even as he took accountability for how things got this far. He knows he helped create this problem and despite that, he was confident that he could fix it.
“Have I screwed up and have I made mistakes? Absolutely,” Schoen said. “But I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. We’re gonna continue to get better."
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
