You would think that with the season the Giants had last year, the organization would prepare for a complete overhaul. But the end of the season saw the Giants’ president, John Mara, entrusting the team with the same crew. “Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will continue in their respective roles with the organization,” he said in a press conference in January. While this is a show of trust, it is also an ultimatum given to the Giants GM and HC. If they do not produce results next season. It might be their last. Therefore, Brian Daboll will likely want the best set of coaches to support him in 2025.

This is where Mike Kafka is put in an awkward seat. After all, he led the Giants to a historically bad offense last year. His offense led the league in most sacks allowed with 85 sacks, a league and franchise record. SI’s Michael Lee believes that it is the lack of variation and an over-reliance on RPO concepts that leave holes in the Giants’ offense. “That offense, however, was a double-edged sword as opponents learned the Giants’ tendencies, and defenses could force them into the options they wanted the Giants to use,” said Lee.

The Giants were just too predictable with their schemes. With Jones and Taylor out due to injury, it forced Daboll and Mike to make quick and safe plays with De Vito. They didn’t have any vertical threat, so defenses could easily apply pressure. They can’t rely on a single action to win games. Brian will look to Mike Kafka to set a more varied offense next season. That’s if Daboll doesn’t end up doing it himself.

A Brian Daboll vs Mike Kafka narrative was built after frequent changes in play-calling duties the past two seasons. It shows Daboll’s distrust towards the OC. However, Brian has come out and said that he has confidence in his coaches, dismissing all those who believed there was friction between the two. “Look, I have confidence in our staff,” Daboll said at the Annual League Meeting in April. “I have confidence in Mike. I have confidence in the offensive guys.” That confidence is what made Daboll shirk off the Seahawks, who wanted Mike in their coaching team last year. Even veteran receiver, Parris Campbell, called him an “offensive guru.” So, there is no doubt about Mike’s capacity as an OC. He just needs to get the tank running.

Whether he can be an important influence on the sidelines will also be a factor in the Giants’ offense next year. Daboll said, “I know last year you saw me with the microphone, holding it, the walkie-talkie. You’ll see Mike with the microphone at times this year. We will go through that whole process leading to the preseason games and see where we are.”

Daboll hasn’t confirmed who exactly holds the reins to the offensive headset, but he did say that Mike will have it in the season. We can only assume that the two will share the headset. Something they’ve done before. In 2023, Daboll would occasionally call plays from the sidelines. Taking over from Kafka. But in 2024, he took full ownership of the role. While Daboll has explicitly said that Kafka will have his time with the headset, will this dynamic be effective for the Giants’ offense? Especially with Russell Wilson, now on the roster. 

How will Brian Daboll choose to play Russell Wilson?

Russell Wilson in New York Giants colours is a chance at redemption for Wilson and a much-needed addition for the Giants. With the Giants having struggled last season with their QBs, injuries to Jones and Taylor, what Wilson could bring to the Giants’ offence can be vital. But his role might not be as fans would expect.

Bleacher Report’s Christopher Knox believes that Wilson set the stage for Jaxson Dart. “There didn’t seem to be a lot of interest in Wilson this offseason, which is unsurprising after he faded down the stretch with the Pittsburgh Steelers,” he said. “If Wilson even wins the starting job out of training camp, don’t expect him to make New York a playoff contender… Or make fans forget that Dart is waiting in the wings.” The first-round pick will be a project the Giants organization will work on for years to come. Hopefully. They would hope that Wilson would bring a level of veteran experience to the team in the initial stages.

A Jaxson Dart takeover is inevitable. It’s just a question of when? Until he’s ready to take the lead in the offense, it’ll be up to Wilson to keep the team afloat. Although it’s sad to see a Super Bowl champion reduced to a warm-up act. But the large consensus is that Brian must prioritize developing Dart over preserving Wilson’s legacy.