Brian Daboll Lands in Tennessee, Reunites with His Preferred QB in Cam Ward
When the New York Giants traded up to draft Jaxson Dart with the 25th pick, the moment was captured in a now-infamous war room video that told a story all its own. General manager Joe Schoen all but stepped away from the decision, making it clear the call came from then-head coach Brian Daboll.
At the time, it looked like Daboll was staking his job on Dart. And when things unraveled in New York, that assumption seemed to hold up.
But now, with Daboll officially taking over as the Tennessee Titans' new offensive coordinator, a different narrative is emerging-one that suggests Dart may never have been his top choice at all.
According to a report from Jordan Schultz, Daboll and the Giants were pushing hard to trade up for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, aiming to land Cam Ward. The offer was aggressive: the No. 3 pick, a 2025 first-rounder, and multiple Day 2 selections.
But the Titans held firm. They weren’t giving up their shot at Ward, and they didn’t.
So when Daboll was let go midseason, he didn’t waste time. He reached out to Tennessee general manager Mike Borgonzi, someone he knew well from their shared time in Kansas City back in 2012. And with Ward already in place, the Titans became an appealing destination for a coach looking for a fresh start-and maybe a second chance to work with the quarterback he really wanted all along.
Borgonzi, for his part, didn’t need much convincing. Even before Robert Saleh was brought in as head coach, Daboll was already the frontrunner for the offensive coordinator role. Once Saleh was hired, the two aligned quickly on the vision: Ward was the future, and Daboll was the one to help him get there.
On Tuesday, that vision became reality. Daboll officially joined the Titans staff, reuniting with a front office ally and finally getting the quarterback he’d reportedly coveted from the start.
It’s a twist that adds a layer of intrigue to the Giants’ recent quarterback saga. While the public story suggested Dart was Daboll’s hand-picked guy, behind the scenes, it appears Ward was always Plan A. Dart, in that light, may have been the backup plan-talented, sure, but not the quarterback Daboll was willing to move heaven and earth to acquire.
Now, as the Giants move forward with Dart and a new coaching staff, fans are left wondering: was he ever really the guy? Or just the one they could get?
Meanwhile, down in Nashville, Daboll gets a clean slate and a quarterback he believes in. For the Titans, it’s a bold pairing: a fresh-faced No. 1 pick and a battle-tested offensive mind with something to prove. And if Daboll’s vision for Ward pans out the way he once hoped it would in New York, Tennessee might have just pulled off one of the most quietly significant moves of the offseason.