As the New York Giants navigate the fallout of a disastrous 6–27 stretch over the last two seasons, ownership appears to be leaning toward stability over a total overhaul.
Giants GM Joe Schoen Expected To Keep His Job In 2026
According to a report by ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is expected to retain his position for the 2026 season.
“Multiple sources who spoke with the Giants about potential candidates came away from recent conversations believing that Schoen ‘is coming back’ as the general manager despite a 6-27 record over the past two seasons,” Raanan reported.
This decision by ownership, led by team president John Mara and co-owner Steve Tisch, likely stems from a desire to maintain front office continuity despite the team moving on from head coach Brian Daboll mid-season. Mara is undergoing treatment for cancer, but has said he plans to remain active with the team. However, there is a wide belief that the team’s refusal to fire Schoen stems from Mara’s inability to conduct both a GM and HC search while ill.
Schoen Might Not Be Totally Safe Just Yet
There is a chance, however, that Schoen is relieved of his duties, pending the head coaching hire. Raanan reported that the decision to retain Schoen is “barring any last-minute change of mind by ownership or a high-level candidate who demands his own general manager.”
Could The Giants’ Next HC Pull A Liam Coen?
Just last offseason, a comparable situation unfolded in Jacksonville.
Following the firing of Doug Pederson, Jaguars owner Shad Khan initially decided to retain general manager Trent Baalke, despite significant fan backlash. This decision proved to be a major hurdle in the coaching search. Several high-profile candidates, including Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson, reportedly avoided the job because they did not want to work under Baalke, who had a reputation for friction with head coaches.
Liam Coen, then the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was a top target for Jacksonville. However, after an initial interview, he withdrew his name from consideration and verbally agreed to a massive three-year extension to stay in Tampa Bay, making him one of the highest-paid coordinators in the league.
Then, just hours after Coen publicly committed to staying with the Buccaneers, Khan fired Baalke, reportedly realizing that Baalke’s presence was the primary reason he was losing out on his preferred coaching candidates. Coen then agreed to become the Jaguars’ next head coach. Jacksonville is 12-4 this year under Coen’s leadership, sitting as the No. 3 seed in the AFC.
The Giants Have Struggled Under Schoen’s Leadership
The decision to keep Schoen comes despite a sharp decline in the team’s on-field performance since his debut year. After an encouraging 9-7-1 record and a playoff victory in 2022, the Giants have struggled immensely, posting a dismal 6-27 record since the start of the 2024 season.
Statistically, the team has endured its worst three-year stretch in franchise history, winning just .240 of its games since the start of 2023.
Schoen has made a series of high-profile missteps, such as the Daniel Jones contract and the decision to let Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney leave in free agency. Furthermore, critical first-round misses like Evan Neal and Deonte Banks have hampered the roster’s depth.
However, ownership appears to be banking on Schoen’s recent draft successes. The 2025 season saw the emergence of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who the franchise views as the long-term solution under center, alongside high-impact additions like Malik Nabers, Abdul Carter, and Cam Skattebo, among others.
By tasking Schoen with leading the search for the next head coach, the Giants are signaling that they believe the process is finally yielding a “talented young nucleus,” as Mara described it in his press statement announcing the firing of Daboll.
Schoen will be under immense pressure to finalize a coaching hire that can maximize this talent and reverse the franchise’s fortunes in 2026. The Giants’ initial list of head coaching candidates includes names like Mike McCarthy, Chris Shula, and more.
The Giants’ initial list of head coaching candidates can be found and analyzed HERE.