The best of New York? The Giants, Jets have endured more than a decade of struggles

There was a tape show down at Canyon of Heroes in New York back in Feb. 7, 2012. More than a million fans came out to worship their New York football heroes, to scream as they caught glimpses of the New York Giants and the Super Bowl XLVI trophy they took home.

It was a magical day. It was the kind of sports festival only New York can offer.

Who knew that would be the last great moment of New York football for more than a decade?

Well, to be fair, there have been some good times in the nearly 13 years since then. But for both the Giants and the Jets, there aren’t really that many. Over the past 12.5 seasons, the combined record of New York’s two teams is an abominable 149-256-1, including 2-6 each so far in 2024. That includes only four winning seasons by any team (three by the Giants), only two playoff berths (both Giants), and a staggering 17 combined double-digit losing seasons, with possibly two more on the way.

It could be worse for the Jets who have spent the last 55 years dreaming of a Super Bowl berth. They are on their way to their 14th straight season of missing the playoffs, and haven’t had a home playoff game since 2002 – eight years before their stadium opened.

But the truth is, in this New York race for nothing, the Giants are right on their heels. They have won just 78 of their 203 regular season games since the start of 2012 (.387 winning percentage). The Jets, with a .350 winning percentage, have won just 71.

Of course, there’s always next year, which is a known fact in New York. But will next year really be better for either team? Here’s a closer look at the regions of these two organizations and whether there’s any hope for a New York soccer revival anytime soon:

FRONT OFFICES

Giants: The Giants hired Joe Schoen three years ago and he isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. They have a long history of not changing general managers. They had just three from 1979-2017. And John Mara said that nothing boosts an organization more than a GM change, which is partly why he waited so long to fire Dave Gettleman as he did.

Schoen’s returns are mixed. His drafts weren’t great, but he made a bold trade for edge rusher Brian Burns. And don’t forget he helped put together a playoff team in his first season. His decision to pay quarterback Daniel Jones (four years, $160 million) instead of running back Saquon Barkley hasn’t aged well, but Mara seems willing to let him get a new QB and build this team his way for a few more years.

Joe Douglas: It’s important to remember that owner Woody Johnson was playing ambassador when Douglas was hired in 2019, because it looks like Johnson is ready to clean house. Douglas has already seen his hand-picked coach fired. His plan to go all-in on aging quarterback Aaron Rodgers blew up in his face. He also has a terrible overall record of 29-62.

He’s generally done well in the draft, with big hits like cornerback Sauce Gardner, receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall ending disasters like quarterback Zach Wilson. And he’s never shied away from bold moves like trading for receiver Davante Adams or tight end Haason Reddick. Of course, the Reddick deal was a fiasco since Douglas didn’t sign him before making the trade, which didn’t help his case at all.

It’s always hard to predict what Woody Johnson will do, but barring a late-season turnaround, Douglas looks like he might be able to pay for his record and mistakes in the end.

HEAD COACHES

Giants: Mara said Brian Daboll is safe — or, to be fair, he said “I don’t expect to make any changes.” That is not because of the work Daboll has done. After all, he’s just 17-24-1. It’s because Mara is disappointed that he has been on five coaches in the nine years since he fired Tom Coughlin. He wants to settle down, but he hasn’t in almost ten years.

While the jury is out on Daboll as a head coach, he remains a respected offensive mind and there is a feeling in the organization that he is the right guy to groom the next quarterback — whoever that might be. And he’s close to Schoen, so if there’s a disaster he’ll be back in 2025. He may not get more than that.

Jets: They already fired Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start to the season and a 20-36 overall record. And former defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is looking for his first win since then (0-3). If Ulbrich can somehow make a dramatic turnaround, in the second half, there’s a good chance he’ll get the job full time. But most likely, they will be looking for someone else.

The big question is who will choose the coach? Will Douglas shoot again? Will the Jets hire a new GM and let him choose the coach? Or will Woody Johnson do it alone?

EMPLOYMENT

Giants: The Giants are under contract with Daniel Jones for two more seasons, but there is plenty for them this offseason if they want. If they cut Jones, they would only be on the hook for $22.2 million, which isn’t much in the context, especially since they would be taking $19.4 million off their books. And it looks like that’s where they’re headed.

Jones hasn’t been great this season, except for short spurts. It’s not all his fault, but that doesn’t really matter. Remember, the Giants were looking for a replacement last season when they tried to trade Drake Maye, who went to New England. Of course they will look at the draft again in April. And don’t be shocked if they try to bring in a different veteran to be a rookie mentor in 2025, too.

Jets: Their marriage to Aaron Rodgers left them in hell. He’s 40 years old, he’s blown away, he’s clearly his old self, and he’s still under contract for next season. They could cut him, but they would eat $49 million in dead money and it would actually cost them $25.5 million in salary cap space. It’s hard to get out of it, that’s why it won’t be surprising if they all decide to give it another year together on the evidence that the strategy failed.

Either way, it’s hard to see how they can’t get a quarterback in the first round of the draft. But they can’t really turn the team over to the rookie. They have a team built to win now, not three years from now. So if Rodgers retires, don’t be surprised if they hit the free agent market again where they can get Russell Wilson or their old friend, Sam Darnold.

STAFF/LEADER CAP

Giants: One of the biggest things Joe Schoen did in his tenure was restore the Giants’ cap health. He locked up key players for a long time (DT Dexter Lawrence, LT Andrew Thomas, DE Brian Burns), restocked the talent and put the franchise in a position where they could have $50-70 million to spend in free agency in March, depending. what they do with Daniel Jones.

That would be huge, because while there is a good base of talent, this team still has big holes at the really important positions – especially at cornerback and on the offensive line. Schoen has an empty record so far, which is why those holes exist. But for the first time in a long time, they may have ammunition to fill. And they don’t have any undrafted free agents of their own to deal with, so they can dip into the free agent pool at will.

Jets: Shame on the mess the Jets have a really strong team. They have a top-10 defense and very good, talented young players on offense. Almost all are under contract, too. The only free agents the Jets have to deal with next March are safety DJ Reed, left tackle Tyron Smith, and right tackle Morgan Moses. And OverTheCap.com projects them to have $80 million in cap space (assuming they cut receiver Davante Adams or at least re-sign his contract). That will give them as much money to spend as anyone, or they could lose that cap space if they decide to part ways with Aaron Rodgers.

So they’re in a strong position with a good talent base, a potential high draft pick and plenty of cap space to spend. If only they could find a quarterback.

WATCHING

Giants: The first year of the Schoen/Daboll reign looked very promising as they went 9-7-1 and even won a playoff game. However, it was fool’s gold, and may have fooled a few in the front office. The truth is they are closer to the start of their rebuilding project than they would like to admit. The talent is much better than when they arrived, no doubt, and the cap life they created is important. But it looks like they’re still missing the most important piece: The quarterback.

They will probably write one in April. Maybe they’ll hit a song like Jayden Daniels that’s great right off the bat. That’s not always how it works with rookie quarterbacks. It usually takes a few years for them to get good. So while that may be a good move for the long-term future, the short-term outlook is not good. It may be another step back in 2025 before they start taking steps forward.

Jets: Much of their opinion rests on the likes of Woody Johnson – and to be fair, he’s caught in a tough spot. There is a really good backbone in the area. With the right quarterback and coach, they can be a playoff team, at least. So he would be tempted to take it back with Rodgers and perhaps his hand-picked offensive coordinator, Nathanial Hackett, as well.

If he does that, it’s hard to imagine that things will go better than the last two years. But the other choice is not good. If he starts over with a rookie quarterback, he better have a quick learning curve because the Jets have several key players headed for free agency, fifth-year options, or contract extensions in 2026.

In other words, the Jets have some really tough decisions to make, and their window won’t be open for long.

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the last six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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