Joe Schoen Faces the Heat: 4 Moments From His Press Conference That Left Giants Fans Shaking Their Heads
The New York Giants are 2-11, their head coach has been fired, and the season has slipped into the kind of territory where questions outnumber answers. So when general manager Joe Schoen finally stepped in front of the mic during the bye week, fans were hoping for clarity, leadership-maybe even a little accountability. Instead, they got a press conference that raised more eyebrows than it settled nerves.
This was Schoen’s first public appearance since dismissing Brian Daboll, and with four games left in a lost season, it was a chance to reset the narrative. But what unfolded over 15 to 20 minutes felt less like a course correction and more like a GM trying to tread water in a storm of his own making. Here are four moments from that presser that didn’t sit well with Giants fans-and for good reason.
1. Late to His Own Presser
Let’s start with the optics. Schoen was scheduled to speak at 1:45 p.m.
That came and went. No update.
Thirty minutes later, the YouTube stream quietly pushed the start time to 2:15 p.m. But even then, the GM didn’t show up on time.
In a season where discipline and accountability have been major talking points-especially with younger players like Abdul Carter reportedly struggling with punctuality-this wasn’t a great look. When your team is 2-11 and the locker room is under scrutiny, showing up late to a press conference sends a message, intentional or not. And it’s not the one fans wanted to hear.
2. “I Understand the Question” - But No Answers
Throughout the Q&A, Schoen leaned heavily on one phrase: “I understand the question.” It became a go-to response whenever the heat was turned up.
Questions about Brian Daboll’s firing? He understood.
Shane Bowen’s role? Understood.
His own job security? Yep, understood that one too.
What fans didn’t get, though, were actual answers. The tough questions-the ones the fanbase has been asking for weeks-were met with vague platitudes and non-committal responses.
It’s one thing to protect organizational privacy, but it’s another to sidestep every meaningful inquiry when your franchise is spiraling. At a time when transparency would go a long way, Schoen’s evasiveness only deepened the disconnect between the front office and the fanbase.
3. “We Won’t Make the Same Mistakes Twice” - But Have They Already?
To his credit, Schoen did acknowledge some responsibility for the Giants’ current state. He emphasized that part of his job is learning from mistakes and not repeating them. On paper, that’s exactly what you want to hear from a GM in a rebuild-or, at this point, a re-rebuild.
But here’s the problem: the mistakes have been repeated. Poor offensive line play, questionable draft decisions, inconsistent quarterback development-these issues aren’t new.
They’ve been recurring themes under this regime. So when Schoen says he’s committed to avoiding the same errors, it’s fair for fans to wonder: what’s actually changing?
Because from the outside looking in, it doesn’t feel like much.
4. Taking Credit for the Jaxson Dart Pick
One of the more eye-catching moments came when Schoen discussed the selection of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. A viral video had previously shown Schoen appearing to separate himself from Daboll in the war room just before the Giants traded up to draft Dart at No.
- At the time, it sparked speculation about whether the GM and head coach were aligned on the pick.
Schoen clarified that he and his staff had already done their homework on Dart and were moving forward with the selection regardless of Daboll’s stance. That might be true-but the timing of Schoen taking ownership of the pick, especially with Daboll now out the door, raised some eyebrows.
Dart has shown flashes of real potential, and if he develops into the long-term answer at quarterback, Schoen will deserve credit. But in a moment where the franchise is teetering and his own job security is under the microscope, the move to spotlight his role in that decision felt... opportunistic. It’s a tough sell when the rest of the roster is still full of holes and the team is staring down another top-five draft pick.
Final Thoughts
Joe Schoen had a chance to steady the ship, or at the very least, show fans that someone at the top was steering it with purpose. Instead, the press conference left many with more frustration than reassurance. There’s still time to change the narrative-four games, a full offseason, and a critical draft ahead-but the clock is ticking.
For now, Giants fans are left with a GM who’s talking about growth and accountability, while the team continues to struggle with the same old problems. The message might be clear to Schoen, but for the fanbase, it’s getting harder to hear through the noise.