The New York Giants slammed the reset button after a brutal 2-8 skid. After pulling the plugs for Brian Daboll, the rumor mill lit up with Lane Kiffin’s name. The Ole Miss boss hasn’t hinted at any NFL itch yet. But that hasn’t stopped the heat from coming his way. A potential reunion with his old QB Jaxson Dart might sound tempting. But it would cost Kiffin a cool $4 million to make that leap.

After the Lincoln Riley comment, it was Josh Pate again. On the November 12 episode of the collaboration between Bussin’ With The Boys, the analyst dropped a sharp jab for Kiffin. “The New York Giants’ job is not even open to me. It doesn’t exist. If Lane Kiffin goes to the NFL, he’s a great person,” Pate dropped his brutally honest take. “But he’s dead to me. He doesn’t exist as far as I’m concerned.” Pate might secretly fear Kiffin won’t resist reuniting with his favorite QB.

Dart and Kiffin formed one of Ole Miss’ deadliest duos from 2022 to 2024.

In just three seasons, Dart rewrote the Rebels’ record books – completing 735 of 1,118 passes (65.7%) for 10,617 yards, 72 touchdowns, and 22 picks. With a 162.8 passer rating and an average of 272.2 yards per game across 39 outings, he left Oxford as the school’s all-time passing leader.

The coach-QB duo looked inseparable.

Remember when Dart called Kiffin a “Yoda” for his offensive genius?

Kiffin playfully fired back on X with an emoji, half flattered, half mock-offended at the Jedi comparison.

Meanwhile, per the latest odds, the Ole Miss head coach leads the Giants’ coaching race at +400, edging out Kliff Kingsbury (+500) and Michigan DC Jesse Minter (+600) in the early betting buzz. Kiffin’s knack for grooming quarterbacks and engineering explosive offenses checks every box NFL teams crave in today’s coaching era. And guess who stirred up the buzz?

Jaxson Dart’s father weighed in on the chatter during the “Bleav in Ole Miss” podcast, revealing he texted Kiffin after hearing Boomer Esiason drop his name in the Giants coaching mix.

“As we were texting on our Kiffin-Dart family text thread, because I think Boomer Esiason had said something in the media today that maybe they should throw out a potential coaching (offer) to Kiffin, and he just sent it over with a smirk and just said, ‘It’s too cold in New York for me.’ It’s just kind of funny,” said the quarterback on the show.

But nobody talks about how the swap will be heavy on Kiffin’s pocket.

Money talk involved in Lane Kiffin’s jump to the NFL

The Giants hired Daboll, hoping he could unlock Daniel Jones’ potential, handing him a $5 million annual deal. Early on, it looked golden. He led New York to its first playoff win in over a decade and snagged NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2022. But the magic faded fast.

In 2023, the Giants slumped to six wins, and Jones faltered, managing just 909 yards, two TDs, and six picks before an ACL tear ended his season.

For the third straight year, the Giants find themselves stuck at 2-8. They sank deeper, inventing fresh ways to lose each week, capped by a gut-punch 24-20 collapse in Chicago. Meanwhile, Kiffin just earned himself some extra job security and a hefty payday. Ole Miss’ win over Oklahoma automatically tacked another year onto his deal, locking him in through Dec. 31, 2031. The new bonus year? 

A cool $9 million, with $7.2 million guaranteed. Winning never paid off quite like this.

Even if the money factor stops Lane Kiffin from hitting the swap button to the NFL, analysts say that the Ole Miss head coach is closer than ever to punching the Gainesville ticket. Dan Thompson tweeted on November 10 that Kiffin sits at -300 odds, while his November 5 tweet had the Ole Miss head coach at -150 odds. Within a week, the odds have doubled.

In case this happens, will Josh Pate be happy?