New York Giants fans have spoken, and the overwhelming majority want general manager Joe Schoen to be the next member of the organization voted off the island.
For the third year in a row, we conducted a Giants fan survey, and it has once again proven to be an invaluable tool for gaining the pulse of the fan base. We’re also thrilled to report that engagement with this annual survey keeps on growing, with more than 5,000 responses this year. So, thank you for that!
Now, on to the results.
After coach Brian Daboll’s in-season firing, Schoen’s fate as GM feels like the only topic fans want to talk about. While there is a lot more to discuss regarding the state of the franchise, his status certainly warrants plenty of attention. The annual survey has been revealing over the years, especially to see how public opinion has turned on Daboll, the 2022 NFL Coach of the Year, as well as Schoen. Only two years ago, more than 95 percent of respondents wanted both back. Two losing seasons later, Daboll is out, and nearly 90 percent of respondents want Schoen fired, too.
But as we said, Schoen’s tenuous status is only part of the Giants’ long-term outlook. There are plenty of questions about this team’s future that we wanted to get your input on. And we did! So let’s dive into the full results of our survey.
Over the past two years, we’ve included questions on whether Daboll and Schoen should return. After the Giants fired Daboll in early November, only Schoen remains. And 88.3 percent of the 5,177 respondents have no interest in letting Schoen run things in 2026 after another 2-11 start to a season. That’s up from 69.3 percent of respondents who didn’t want Schoen back in 2025.
But, as some readers will frustratingly point out, fans won’t be making the final call. That will fall to ownership. In Schoen’s bye week press conference, he sounded like someone who expects to be back in 2026. He doesn’t appear to have any assurances from ownership, however, so his fate is still to be determined.
In other words, it’s still possible for the vast majority of respondents to get their wish.
Choose one word to summarize the Brian Daboll era in New York
With another big mid-season departure, we tweaked this question’s focus. Last year, we wanted to know one word to summarize the Daniel Jones experience after the QB was released following six seasons in New York. This year, the spotlight turned to Daboll, who was fired after nearly four seasons and finished with a 20-40-1 record.
Unsurprisingly, the answers were pretty similar. One of the most common replies was “disappointing,” which was submitted more than 300 times. “Disaster” was another top response, with 200-plus entries. “Embarrassing” got a chunk of answers, as did “depressing.”
Here are a few of the other top replies:
- Fruitless
- Demoralizing
- Confusing
- Sloppy
- Undisciplined
- Unwatchable
- Futile
- Lousy
- Abysmal
- Mirage
- Backwards
- Unlucky
- Cursed
- Overhyped
- Unacceptable
- Half-baked
- Wasted
- Stinky
- Sloppy
- Brutal
- Grim
- Nauseating
- Circus
Given the Giants’ struggles amid multiple GM and coaching changes, fans have continued to emphasize ownership’s role in the last decade of dysfunction. The numbers were pretty similar this year, with 78.2 percent of respondents here having limited confidence (a vote of 1 or 2) in ownership to steer the franchise in the right direction compared to 72.5 percent last year. But the reality is the team is still partially owned by its founding family, and that’s not likely to change soon. While the Giants sold a minority stake in the franchise this year to Julia Koch and her family, it’s still the Mara and Tisch families making the major decisions — for better or worse.
If 88 percent of respondents want Schoen fired, it stands to reason that many blame his front office for yet another brutal season. And that’s what we saw here, with 40.2 percent of respondents blaming the front office for the Giants’ misery. The coaches came in second in the blame game, and so far, they’ve been the ones made to pay for the team’s struggles. Not only was Daboll fired, but so were defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and assistant defensive line coach Brian Cox. The defense also gets some blame, largely for its role in blowing so many late leads. That side of the ball was supposed to be one of the team’s strengths coming into the season, but instead has often been its undoing.
It’s worth noting that in the write-in section, “ownership” received lots of votes, while “all of the above” was a very popular answer. Fair.
This might be the most interesting response of all, given how it somewhat contradicts the previous answers. More than 42 percent of respondents believe the Giants have “the pieces” to be a playoff team in 2026. We used the word pieces here because that was the word Schoen chose in his bye-week news conference when he stated he believes the Giants have the “pieces in place” to be successful. It presents an interesting contradiction, given that the front office received the most blame for the season’s struggles just one question above. There’s obviously a lot that goes into these decisions and who is on the roster, but it’s still noteworthy.
The optimism here makes sense given what respondents believe about the state of the roster. It’s clear — and will become even clearer a little later in this story — Giants fans believe strongly in quarterback Jaxson Dart. Having a solid young QB in place is a strong start for a franchise being a desirable landing spot for prospective coaches. Throw in that, despite recent struggles, the Giants remain an iconic NFL franchise, and you can see why respondents believe the job will be appealing.
What remains to be seen, however, is how candidates will view the job if Schoen remains in his role. Schoen doesn’t believe the team will have trouble attracting quality candidates in that situation, saying with some defiance last week, “From the calls we got, I think we’re going to be able to fill the job.”
It’s relatively early in the coaching cycle, so we provided a lot of names to choose from. We also allowed for some write-in responses, and one name stood out from the rest in that category. While Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula earned the most votes, longtime Steelers coach Mike Tomlin dominated the write-in section. But Tomlin, at least for another week, silenced the conversation about a potential coaching change in Pittsburgh, leading his Steelers to a huge divisional win over the Baltimore Ravens to reclaim first place in the AFC North.
Another popular write-in candidate was Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, who has led the Irish to a 43-12 record during his four-plus years in South Bend, Ind. While it’s fun to speculate on the future, one respondent captured the reality of the situation well, saying, “Let’s see who shakes loose on Black Monday.” They’re right. We still don’t know the full list of candidates that will be available to the Giants come season’s end.
An overwhelming majority of respondents believe Dart is the future of the franchise. Amid all the turmoil with this team, at least Giants fans have a QB they believe in. And rightly so. The No. 25 pick in last spring’s draft has mostly thrived since being named the starter in Week 4. He has completed 145 of 228 passes (63.6 percent) for 1,556 yards and 11 touchdowns, while adding 337 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. And he’s done it all with a swagger that has resonated with Giants fans.
Obviously, the main worry with Dart is the number of hits he’s taken, and his relative lack of concern about it. Dart wants to play the game his way, but his aggressive style has gotten him into some trouble early in his career, as he has already missed two games with a concussion while being evaluated for one during three other games, including the preseason. Dart will continue to walk a fine line between letting his legs be a weapon for him while not exposing himself to unnecessary risk.
With a 2-11 record, there’s plenty of frustration to go around. But in terms of the one player who has generated the most frustration among fans this year, it was a two-horse race between a pair of first-round picks: Abdul Carter and Deonte Banks. Carter edged out Banks, which was a bit of a surprise given the pass rusher’s short Giants tenure.
The No. 3 overall pick arrived in New York brimming with confidence, making headlines with his denied request to don Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor’s famed No. 56. But that confidence has not yet translated into on-field production, as he has totaled just 1.5 sacks so far this season. Rather than competing for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, Carter has instead made headlines for being benched twice in three weeks for missing meetings. It’s been a tough start to his career in New York.
Banks wasn’t too far behind Carter in the voting. The 2023 first-round cornerback was benched last season for his effort, while he’s been a constant liability in coverage this season.
We also got a lot of “all of the above” and “all but Dart” answers. Again, fair.
Ah, the true marker of a lost Giants season: Getting excited in December for the upcoming NFL Draft. The Giants currently own the top spot in the draft order, but with four games to go, there is still plenty of time for things to be shaken up. According to Austin Mock’s NFL Projection Model, the Giants only have the fifth-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick.
They are, however, a near lock to pick inside the top 10, so they should have a good chance to land a high-quality player in the first round.
Fans would prefer that the draft pick play either cornerback or offensive line. The Giants have Paulson Adebo, but fellow starting cornerback Cor’Dale Flott is an impending free agent, and Banks hasn’t lived up to his draft pedigree. Meanwhile, the offensive line has played well this season, but right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor is an impending free agent, while guard Greg Van Roten is an 11-year vet also set to test the open market. It would make sense to invest in the line with a top pick. Similarly, getting a big man on the defensive front to pair with All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence seems like a wise investment for a defense that has struggled to stop the run.
Alas, as Giants fans know all too well, there is plenty of time left before the draft to debate how New York should proceed.
Let’s lighten the mood: What are you thankful for this Giants season?
Hey, it’s the holiday season, so we wanted to try to get away from the doom and gloom of another lost season by ending with some hopeful thoughts.
Dart was a popular answer, but so was another player who hasn’t been mentioned yet: rookie running back Cam Skattebo. The dynamic back is recovering from a gruesome ankle injury suffered in Week 8, but he’s been on social media documenting his journey, showcasing the quirky personality that quickly made him a fan favorite in New York.
Edge rusher Brian Burns earned praise for his consistency and 13-sack season (second-most in the league). The Giants’ Thursday night win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 was also a highlight for many fans.
We’d also be remiss if we didn’t thank those of you who shouted out my beat partner, Dan Duggan, and me for our work covering the team. Those notes were very much appreciated.
However, if there was one sentiment that felt like it most perfectly encapsulated this Giants season and what there is to be thankful for, it was this one, shared by many of you: “It’s almost over.”
