It doesn’t take much to tell that the New York Giants aren’t in a great position. Going into the last game of the season, most of the talk surrounding the team isn’t about the final game but rather the organizational decisions that will follow. Those decisions include whether or not to keep the team’s losing head coach, and who will replace Dave Gettleman if he does indeed step down or is fired.
But the Giants may not be in for a quick turnaround, and former running back Tiki Barber doesn’t seem to think they are. Barber spoke to NJ Advance Media recently and pointed out that the current problems are larger than just the roster or the matter of who is head coach.
Tiki Barber points out disconnect in Giants organization
“That disconnect from top to bottom is something that’s really hard to reconcile in the NFL,” Barber said. “I think everybody, except for whoever the new GM is, is basically on a one-year, prove-it deal. It’s hard to operate like that.”
A popular rumor is that the Giants are planning to retain Joe Judge and Daniel Jones for the next season. It’s believed that decision could influence the GM search if true, as it’s hard to imagine top GM candidates accepting the job while being made to stick with the previous regime’s staff and players for at least a season.
According to Barber, the one-year deal situation isn’t tenable for long.
“They’re in an untenable situation. It’s one of the worst situations in football. And I know that’s saying a lot, especially with the Jaguars. But the Jaguars have no expectations. So I think the Giants – because of their history and the former perception of the team as this ideal to live up to – they’re in one of the worst positions in the league,” Barber continued.
Barber is only one of multiple former players to complain this season about the current state of the franchise. With that being said, we won’t know if John Mara is going to follow the advice of those former players until this offseason, when we find out more about the Giants’ approach for the future.
One thing is certain, however: very few outside of the Giants organization believe that forcing Joe Judge and Daniel Jones onto a new GM hire would be a remotely good idea in solving the problem that Barber spoke about.