Some seasons drag. The Giants are in one of those stretches now, grinding through the final weeks, reshuffling leadership again, and waiting for a chance to reset the entire operation in the offseason. Brian Daboll is out, Joe Schoen is driving the head-coach search, and the franchise is drifting toward another top-five pick. It sounds bleak on paper, but there’s a case to be made that the Giants aren’t as far off as their record suggests.
If things break right, 2026 could look very different.
1. A real quarterback changes everything
The simplest reason for optimism is also the most important: the Giants have their quarterback. Jaxson Dart didn’t just flash talent — he announced himself as the type of player you build around. The 22-year-old has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 1,417 yards, ten touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He’s also piled on 317 rushing yards and seven rushing scores, giving the Giants a dynamic playmaker who can win outside structure.
His style invites contact, and the concussion he suffered in Week 10 is a reminder that he can’t take that level of punishment forever. But the traits, the poise, the arm talent — they’re all real. You don’t stumble into those numbers by chance. And the head-coaching job instantly becomes more attractive because of it. Coaches want quarterbacks. Coaches want upside. Dart gives them both.
2. There’s too much defensive talent for this group to be this bad
On paper, the Giants should have a nasty defense. They’ve poured premium picks and serious money into every level of the unit. Abdul Carter, the number-three pick, was drafted to be the centerpiece of the front seven. Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland received major commitments in the secondary. This is not the roster of a team destined to be gashed every Sunday.
Yet Shane Bowen’s scheme has fallen apart. The run defense is one of the worst in football, the communication in coverage has evaporated, and the pass rush rarely wins early in downs. It’s been a complete regression, and that’s the type of failure that points more toward coaching than personnel.
A new staff won’t need to build this defense from scratch. They’ll inherit real talent — they’ll just be tasked with using it properly. With the right system, this group shouldn’t just be improved. It should be a strength.
3. A clean sweep of the staff opens the door to competency
For all the roster tweaks the Giants will make, the biggest shift will come on the headset. They need a program-builder, someone with presence, clarity, and the ability to build a staff that isn’t learning on the job. That’s been the missing ingredient for years.
The candidate pool is large and interesting. Chris Shula from the Rams is generating buzz around the league, and for good reason. He’s worked under Sean McVay for nearly a decade, handled responsibilities on both sides of the ball, and is currently coordinating one of the league’s best defenses despite starting multiple undrafted players. He’s young, sharp, and plugged into modern schemes.
On the other end of the spectrum, a veteran like Mike McCarthy could make sense. Say what you want about his tenure in Dallas, but both of his coordinators became head coaches elsewhere, and his teams were consistently prepared and functional. After years of instability, that might be exactly the kind of grounding force this franchise needs.
And this time, the Giants have something they haven’t had in years: an attractive situation. A young quarterback. Cap space. High draft picks. A market that always draws interest. Coaching candidates will want this job.
A slow fade now, but a clearer picture ahead
The Giants still have to endure the rest of this season. But once they cross that finish line, they enter an offseason that could redefine the franchise. They’ll pick high. They’ll rebuild the staff. They’ll refine the pieces around Dart. They’ll finally have clarity.
That’s why this messy, frustrating stretch matters less than what comes next.
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