Brian Daboll might be coaching for his job.
The New York Giants will carry a 2-9 record into Week 13’s Thanksgiving road game at the Dallas Cowboys. With the Giants set to start their third quarterback in as many weeks following the release of Daniel Jones and an injury to Tommy DeVito, the franchise enters the holiday showcase in shambles.
Still, what are the actual chances of Daboll being fired before the end of the season? Let’s look at all the factors in play.
Looking at Brian Daboll’s Time in New York
When Daboll joined the Giants in 2022, he was viewed as a home-run hire. Following his successful four-year run as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator, Daboll was tasked with revitalizing New York’s offense and getting the most out of young quarterback Jones — as he did with Josh Allen.
And the early returns were excellent. The Giants went from 4-13 in 2021 to 9-7-1 in Daboll’s first season. New York qualified for the postseason and beat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card round before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round.
The Giants reverted to 6-11 in 2023, but Daboll received a pass because Jones missed most of the campaign due to a torn ACL. If anything, New York performed to the capabilities of its subpar roster.
Fans and the front office hoped New York would turn things around with Jones back under center. Instead, the Giants went 2-8 in their first 10 games, and Jones was benched — likely permanently — ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It would be easy to pin New York’s struggles on Jones and the failures of general manager Joe Schoen. However, the on-field product has been an all-around disaster — and that falls on Daboll.
Entering Week 13, the Giants ranked 19th in Pro Football Network’s Defense+ metric (C) but 29th in PFN’s Offense+ metric (D+). Their special teams have also been a liability, ranking 25th in expected points added (EPA).
Still, for now, it seems like Daboll isn’t in danger of being fired before the end of the season.
FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported prior to Week 12 that “there is a growing sense that Giants HC Brian Daboll is coaching for his job over the final seven games.” Schultz’s report indicated that the impending pressure was part of the reason that Daboll chose DeVito to start over veteran Drew Lock, but that decision backfired after DeVito was injured in a listless 30-7 loss to Tampa Bay this past Sunday.
#Giants QB Tommy DeVito, who stayed behind in NY to get an MRI and other tests for his forearm before flying to Dallas, is not expected to play today. Drew Lock slated to start. pic.twitter.com/tG2dWowwcS
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 28, 2024
Daboll is a better coach than his record indicates, and there’s no denying he’s been dealt a tough hand in New York. You could argue he deserves at least one more season with a quarterback of his choosing, perhaps one selected near the top of the 2025 NFL Draft.
But as New York’s season spirals even further out of control, someone could become the fall guy. And history tells us the head coach would be the scapegoat.
Has Daboll Been Fired Before?
This would be Daboll’s first firing as an NFL head coach. However, he essentially was dismissed after three previous stints as an assistant.
In 2007, Daboll was hired as a quarterbacks coach by the New York Jets under head coach Eric Mangini. After the 2008 season, Mangini was fired and Daboll wasn’t retained under new head coach Rex Ryan.
Daboll was hired as the Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator in 2011 under head coach Tony Sparano. After a 4-9 start, the Dolphins fired Sparano and chose not to retain Daboll under new head coach Joe Philbin.
In 2012, the Kansas City Chiefs hired Daboll as their next offensive coordinator under head coach Romeo Crennel. The Chiefs fired Crennel after a 2-14 season and didn’t retain Daboll under new head coach Andy Reid.