Coming into the season, rumors were already hinting that Giants head coach Brian Daboll‘s seat was starting to heat up with pressure to win. An 0-2 start to the year has done nothing to cool things off, and according to Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen may be starting to feel the heat, as well. Pauline’s sources claim that both coaches are “hanging on by a thread.” 
Daboll started his career as a head coach on a strong note, going 9-7-1 in 2022 — good for 3rd in the NFC East and a wild card spot in the playoffs, where his team defeated a 13-4 Vikings squad before falling to the Eagles. The next year, a season-ending injury to Daniel Jones derailed New York’s offense, while the defense, despite a high efficiency on third downs, struggled as the sixth-worst unit in the NFL. The resulting 6-11 record led the Giants and then-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale to part ways.
Bowen came in to replace Martindale, fresh off three seasons in the same role in Tennessee. In his first season with Big Blue last year, Bowen’s defense showed improvement, ranking 21st in scoring allowed and eighth in passing yards allowed. In 2025 so far, no defense has given up more yards through their first two games. If things don’t change soon, both Bowen and Daboll could find themselves in danger of becoming the first coaching casualties of the young season.
So, how might things change? Pauline’s sources point to the quarterback position. Unfortunately for starting passer Russell Wilson, despite his 450-yard Week 2 performance, the fate of his starting role could be tied to the security of Daboll and Bowen’s jobs.
Per Pauline, if an expected rout by the Chiefs takes place this weekend at the Meadowlands, rookie first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart may find himself running on the first-team offense as soon as next weekend, when the Chargers come to town. If the presumed bad result against the Chiefs doesn’t boost Dart to the starting role in time for Los Angeles, Pauline’s sources claim Dart should be starting in time for a Week 5 trip to New Orleans at the latest.
If a change at quarterback is as guaranteed as they seem to be implying, it may behoove the team to make the move sooner, rather than later. While the Saints would, perhaps, be a softer test for Dart, the stretch of games immediately following sees matchups with the Eagles (twice), Broncos, 49ers, Bears, Packers, and Lions, who all could make life tough for a first-year starter. With that in mind, it may be smart to get Dart incorporated into the starting lineup with as much time to get up to speed as possible.
Of course, this is all speculation at the moment. Currently, Daboll’s fate is in the hands of Wilson, who led the Steelers to a playoff appearance just last year. Things haven’t gone according to plan so far, but Daboll may view Wilson’s experience as his best chance at turning around the season. If things continue to go poorly, though, showing potential for improvement behind a younger arm may be his only chance at saving his job. As for Bowen, his job may be fully dependent on the defense’s ability to turn things around against a grueling upcoming slate of games.
If ownership would really bring back The Most Obvious Dead Man Walking Ever In The World’s Testiest Sports Media Market…and THEN fire them weeks later after their obvious mediocre team started poorly…
You have problems no coach can fix.
Fire yourselves for keeping him and let Madden 2025 run your team.
Ignorant of the fact the Giants are forever coddled by the Nooyawk Sportsball Media that’s floundering as its revenue slowly dries up.
Even if the Mara, Tisch, and now Koch families wanted to get rid of Daboll and Schoen, the Giants’ owners would be afraid of doing so.
Well if some rando on sportskeeda says it it must be true. Of course anyone can say anyone is on hot seat. When nothing happens everyone forgets or the old well they just decided to wait bs comes out. No idea why you are reporting what this guy writes.
They should’ve both been fired already……just prolonging the years until they get good again, if they can find the right GM and coach, they waited too long
Daboll should have been long gone already
Wilson playing against a bad DAL defense and putting up 450 yards doesn’t mean much. Season is still early, let’s see what happens. NYG are 6 points underdogs against a 0-2 KC team. Let’s see what happens.
Giants wanted a 2025 version of Eli pulling out miracle finishes. 450 passing yards went to waste because Dallas scored on a 64-yard FG as time expired. Then Wilson goes deep in OT for an INT that sets up the winning FG.
The bigger problem for the Giants franchise is the current GM Joe Schoen, he has no idea how to build a team. He should have been fired immediately after the HBO Hard Knocks show was released. He gave a team in his division a shot at a superstar running back instead of building his team around that player.. instead he spends huge assets and money on pass rushers who need teams to play from ahead to have huge impact. Meanwhile he has tried to sign stop gaps on Oline instead of investing enough resources in quality Oline talent…and the GM has also been unsuccessful in securing a legitimate franchise QB. He simply must go….
Barkley left for Philadelphia because the Giants gave a big contract to Daniel Jones, whose own career is alive again in Indianapolis.
People forget the Giants made the playoffs in 2022 with a bunch of other teams’ castoffs.
It’s not a good look for Schoen/Daboll if Jones has a great year in Indy.
I don’t think Daboll is going anywhere any time soon and if the Giants manage to win 5+ games and/or Dart plays and shows progress, Daboll might be back next year, too.
Bowen, though, might be gone sooner than later. There’s too much talent on that defense for them to be giving up 40 points. I don’t care how good Dallas’s offense is, that’s unacceptable.
It seems clear that Bowen and Daboll disagree on the use of promising first round pick Abdul Carter. Why Bowen won’t use him as an Edge rusher is a head scratcher.
But then again, these are the disfunctional NY Giants, where Bowen was the third or fourth choice to replace Martindale as DC — the leading candidates turned down the job.
Quite an indictment for the sad state of this franchise.
Daboll should have been fired after the Martindale debacle. First, his problems getting along with other staff. Second, top level DC candidates having no interest in working with Daboll. When your HC is toxic, you need to move on.
@Mustard: Not disagreeing with you, but if you ask me, Martindale should shoulder a lot of that blame as well. His defenses were terrible and he was openly defying the head coach. I hated Wink and I’m glad he is gone.
Daboll will get his chance with Dart, and I don’t think Dart is getting his opportunity until after the 2nd eagles game at the earliest, but most likely after the Packers game. The resources used to get Dart were for this coaching staff imo, everyone’s job is tied to him and his performance in those last 6-8 games. If Dart is an NFL qb starter, these recent drafts for the NYG have been productive despite the (expected) New York media negativity train.
Spoiler alert: We’ve all seen this movie before… just fast forward to the classic “leave the gun / take the cannoli” scene 🙂
When was the last time a lame duck turned it around? It’s better to just get the old regime out and the new one in as soon as the old one falters