EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – After watching the Giants all season, meeting with the general manager and head coach, and consulting his co-owner, John Mara announced Monday that Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will "continue in their respective roles with the organization" in 2025.

Was that because of his belief in what the G.M. and coach can deliver in the future, or his desire to avoid another front office/coaching staff reset?

"I think it's a combination of things," Mara said in a 10-minute meeting with reporters two hours after releasing a statement. "It's a belief in them, number one. But, number two, I think when you start over, you really set yourselves back. When you have a belief in the two individuals that are leading the organization, you have to have the patience to stay with it."

Mara admitted, "I've just about run out of patience" in the wake of a 3-14 season that concluded yesterday with a 20-13 defeat in Philadelphia. The Giants set franchise records for losses in a season and longest losing streak (10 games), and an 0-6 record in the NFC East marked the first winless division record in team history.

But in looking at the big picture, Mara and chairman Steve Tisch believe the prudent decision is to retain Schoen and Daboll.

"Nobody's more frustrated and upset than I am," Mara said. "I appreciate the fact that they (the fans) have hung in there with us. I get your frustration, I feel your pain, but I still believe this is the right decision for us going forward."

The media, fans and the wider NFL community had engaged in speculation about the futures of Schoen and Daboll for weeks. Would they both stay? Both be fired? Would one keep his job while the other was cut loose?

"I met with Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll Friday afternoon for several hours," Mara said. "After which I had a conversation with Steve Tisch and we spoke some more over the weekend. We came to the decision that staying with both of them is the best course of action for us right now. I think in Brian's case, he was the Coach of the Year two years ago. That didn't disappear all of a sudden. I still believe he can do that again. And in Joe's case, I thought we had an outstanding draft class this year. I thought we had a really good free agency period. I really like the staff that he's put together and built. I think that they're the right two guys to lead us going forward.

"I understand, believe me, that that's not going to be the most popular decision in Giant land. But we believe it's the right decision for us going forward."

Prior to the season, Mara said, "I want to walk off the field at the end of the season (and know) we're moving in the right direction." A three-win season provides no indication of that, but Mara is resolute in his belief that Schoen and Daboll are the right people to lead the Giants upward.

"Certainly, the signs were not based on our record," Mara said. "However, in Joe's case, I think the draft class that we had was really productive. I think all six of those guys are going to help us a great deal. I thought the free agents we brought in, including (outside linebacker) Brian Burns, were really a big plus. I think the staff that he's assembled around him and the process that we go through now and the information that we have in making personnel decisions is better than I've ever seen it before. In Brian Daboll's case, I'm at practice all the time, I go to the team meetings, I watch the players, and I watch how they react. I still think he's the right guy to lead us."

If the process, the draft class, and free agent acquisitions were all good, why did the team finish 3-14?

"Because we stunk this year," Mara said. "The results on the field were not what we wanted them to be. There were a number of factors that went into that. A lot of that has already been discussed with the coach and with Joe and will continue to be discussed. But I liked what I heard from them on Friday afternoon. I like what their plan is going forward and we're going to stay with it."

But people outside the building have trouble separating the process and the record.

"I understand that," Mara said. "Believe me, I understand that. It's a bottom-line business. You're judged on what your record is, and our record is pretty lousy right now. I get that and I take responsibility for that. But, again, when you make these changes, and God knows we've made them in the past and been impatient in the past. When you do that, you feel like you take one step forward, two steps back and I just didn't want to fall into that cycle again. I wanted to give people a chance to build this thing the right way and to get us to where we need to be."

Mara discussed several specific Giants issues, most notably the necessity of acquiring a franchise quarterback this offseason. After Daniel Jones was released in November, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito split the last seven starts.

"That's obviously the number one issue for us going into this offseason, is to find our quarterback of the future," Mara said. "Whether that be via the draft or acquiring a veteran, it's going to be up to them to decide, ultimately."

Under first-year defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, the Giants finished 21st in the NFL in points allowed (24.4 a game, though opponents scored six touchdowns on defense and special teams), 24^th in yards allowed (346.8), and 27^th vs. the run (136.2).

"Quite frankly, I didn't think our defense played very well this year at all," Mara said. "I know that when you have an offense that performs like (the Giants' did), you're putting more pressure on your defense. But we need to make improvements there. I'm tired of watching teams go up and down the field on us. So, I think that has to be addressed. I think we need some more depth in the offensive line. But, the number one thing, certainly, is the quarterback."

The number two thing might be who calls the plays for him. Daboll took over the play-calling this season after the Giants finished 30^th in scoring in 2023. This year, they scored 273 points, just seven more than last year, in spite of rookies Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy each gaining more than 1,100 scrimmage yards.

"Obviously, the quarterback is the big issue," Mara said. "Maybe he (Daboll) makes some other changes in the way he operates going forward. I talked to him about, 'Do you really believe that it's in our best interest for you to continue calling the plays?' I said, 'I'm not going to demand that you do one thing or the other. But are you better off letting somebody else call the plays?'

"That's a discussion that we're going to continue to have. There are issues like that that we have to have some further discussion about. But at the end of the day, he's got to make the decision on whether he does that, on whether he wants to make replacements in the staff. That's got to be his decision at the end of the day."

The Giants clearly have much to do in the coming months after their forgettable season. John Mara has already made perhaps the most significant move, retaining Schoen and Daboll.

"We need to win more games," Mara said. "But there's just a better feeling in the building now that we've got the right pieces in place. We have a lot of holes to fill and that's what this offseason is going to be about."