As the final Giants gathering of the season got underway, Wan’Dale Robinson and his teammates figured what was about to go down on Monday regarding Brian Daboll.
“We assumed from the team meeting with the way Dabes was talking,’’ Robinson said, “and then obviously everyone got the notification.’’
The assumption, based on Daboll’s demeanor and his messaging, was that he was going to be staying around.
The notification on their phones made it official that Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen will return for 2025, despite an embarrassing 2024 season that had the Giants finish 3-14 for the most losses in a season in franchise history.
“I wasn’t necessarily surprised or taken aback,’’ guard Jon Runyan Jr. said. “I didn’t feel like they were going to be let go.
“I feel comfortable with them. They have a vision that they installed here and are gonna keep going forward with it and I think the guys that are here are going to buy in and believe in it.’’
Daboll said he learned for sure that he would return Monday morning from co-owner John Mara, but if that was a relief, Daboll kept that emotion — and any other emotion — to himself.
“I am thankful for the opportunity,’’ he said. “We have a lot of work to do. Obviously, 3-14 is not good enough.’’
He later called the position he holds with the Giants “a great honor’’ and stressed, “I need to do a better job.’’
Players are more aligned with the head coach than they are with the front office, and news that Daboll will be back for a fourth season brought solace to the locker room.
“Joe knows what he’s doing, Dabes knows what he’s doing,’’ offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said.
“It means everything,’’ left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “Continuity is a big thing in this league. He’s a great leader, and a really good coach so I’m excited he’s back. I’ve been part of different regimes and I know what it’s like, starting over. It’s not always easy.’’
The Giants will not be starting over, despite going through a franchise record 10-game losing streak and flirtation with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft — they own the No. 3 pick.
“I don’t think change is always the best,’’ Robinson said. “You never know what can happen whenever things change. It could end up being the same, things could get worse.’’
It cannot get much worse.
Robinson said Daboll in the meeting expressed that he was proud how the players came in every day ready to work. Co-owner John Mara, in explaining why decided to keep Daboll, said the way the team stuck together was one of the plusses on Daboll’s ledger.
“Probably so,’’ Robinson said. “Mr. Mara is out there at practice pretty often, so I think he sees the way we practice and doesn’t think things are slouching or were lacking in effort and things like that.’’
Change is a strain on everyone in the building. There is comfort that is not going to happen with the guy in charge of the team.
“Leader, controls the room, smart, he’s a student of the game, really, shares his knowledge with us, wears his heart on his sleeve and I think everybody sees that,’’ Runyan said of Daboll. “Really an emotional leader, makes guys ready to go out there and perform and for whatever reason things didn’t go our way this year. I believe in him and his system, comfortable with that going forward.
“I think everybody in this locker room would say they really like Dabes. To have him here for another year, everybody’s really excited about it.’’
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