Giants Mistakes, Joe Schoen's Future, and More Dominate This Week's Reader Mailbag

Welcome to the weekly New York Giants On SI Reader Mailbag! From offseason moves to game-day strategies, nothing is off-limits. So, let's dive right into your questions!

@Patricia_Traina #askPTrain

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Pat, what changes have you noticed since Kafka has taken over? Did he establish himself as a legitimate NFL head coach? Also what is your opinion on the defense since the change?
— Bill Frantz (@feihc53) December 31, 2025

Bill, I think a few things jumped out at me. First, the impression I get is that Kafka is very organized, which is a good thing. He is also not afraid to make the tough decisions, e.g., firing staff or disciplining players.

He holds guys accountable and is much better with the media, which is appreciated. I've often wondered what he might be able to do if he had a chance to run a program from start to finish.

I don't think he'll get that chance here, but I do think that, despite the lack of results—and remember, he was dealt a rather poor hand when he took over—he has shown that being a head coach isn't too big for him.

Giants will have limited cap space,as you indicated, for free agents next season. Considering what positions might be filled by the draft, which of these players would you think is a priority for them to sign, if any: Robinson, Flott, Eluemunor? You always have great insights on the team.-- Fred E.

Fred, thank you for the kind words. I’m going to roll out a multistep plan to fix the Giants once the season ends and I will cover your question at that time.

As you know I like to do my homework and not just spit out opinions without having assessed the realistic possibilities. So just bear with me another week or so and I will be able to dive into this.

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Why do the Maras, despite owning a team that is consistently one of the worst in the league, cling to their bad decisions?
— Brennan Neill🛸 (@BrennanNeillVT) January 2, 2026

Brennan, the simple answer is that they don't view their decisions as being bad and they have more information that goes beyond the surface of what you and I have.

What do you think has contributed to the turn around of the run defense
— Tim (@NYGTIM) January 1, 2026

Tim, the short answer is that I think Charlie Bullen simplified things so the players can now fly to the ball and think less.

I also think some of it has to do with better alignment, e.g., better matching guys either over an offensive lineman or shaded to the side.

I would need to sit down and watch the film to give you a detailed answer, but those are two things that come to mind based on what the coaches have indicated.

It looks like Schoen is staying. Do you see where he has grown in his time with the Giants? Also curious what he learned from his time with Daboll and how that impacts how he hires a new coach.
— Kris Kauffeld (@dublk52) January 2, 2026

Kris, the results speak for themselves, right? I suppose you could say his drafts have gotten better year over year, but again, the results haven't been there.

As for what he learned from his time with Daboll, that's a question for him, as I can't answer it.

I would hope — and this is only my take based on how I perceived the dynamics between the two — that Joe becomes a little more assertive with the next head coach, as there were times when I suspected that he and Brian were almost on equal footing in their working relationship.

Do you see any scenario where we keep kafka as OC? Maybe if we hire a DC(e.g. Spags). What about keeping our interim DC if we hire an OC AS HC. Thanks ) #askPTrain
— charlie kutch (@cpkutch) December 31, 2025

Charlie, I wouldn't mind if Kafka stayed around, but I don't think he will unless he gets the head coaching job.

I could see him going to Kansas City to reunite with Andy Reid as the offensive coordinator if Matt Nagy moves on, and boost his stock as a potential head coaching candidate if he's not hired somewhere in the upcoming cycle.

I doubt the Giants keep Charlie Bullen as defensive coordinator, though I do think he's done a nice job.

#askPTrain Why is this organization incapable of doing a proper self evaluation? Not firing Schoen is a travesty. If any of us were as bad at our jobs as he's been at his, we'd have been fired a while ago. Definition of insanity, doing the same and expecting a new result.
— Roman Woops (@RomanWoops) January 1, 2026

Roman, putting emotion aside here, sometimes there is more than what meets the eye.

Have the results been bad? Yes. But are those results because of injury? Coaching? An internal problem outside of the general manager's realm (such as his being overruled on something?) that we don't know about?

I get it. Giants fans are frustrated with the results. I'm frustrated because covering a losing team year after year sucks the life out of a person.

That all said, while it does look like Schoen is returning, I would hope that moving forward the mistakes that keep popping up go away and that whoever the next head coach is, they're fully aligned with the vision and a plan to fix this mess.

I would also hope that the circle around Schoen, which I have long believed is too large, gets reduced as I don't think it's necessary to have a gazillion different opinions being thrown at you.

Should Jaxon Dart play the entire game?
— Anthony DeFelice (@anthonydefeli) January 1, 2026

He's healthy, so he will be playing the entire game barring anything happening.

With the season in reality over, the question is for you. Would you like to see an O- or D-minded HC? Also, have the rules changed for when a team seeking a new HC can interview an assistant? Coaches from a team in the playoffs? What are the current rules in that regard? (Joe G.)

Joe, you asked me this same question about the head coach a couple of mailbags ago. My answer is the same: I don't care what side of the ball the head coach comes from, just so long as he has a vision and a plan for fixing this team.

Here is the interviewing schedule for the week (per The Athletic):

Tuesday, Jan 6: Interviews with candidates whose team didn’t make the playoffs or whose teams have a first-round bye if the interviewing club played Saturday, January 3.

Wednesday, Jan. 7: Interviews with candidates whose teams did not make the playoffs or have first-round byes if the interviewing club played on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Tuesday, Jan. 13: Head coaching interviews with candidates who coached in Saturday or Sunday’s wild card games.

Wednesday, Jan. 14: Head coaching interviews with candidates who coached in Monday’s wild card game.

All first-round interviews must be conducted virtually.

What do you think the Giants should do with the placekicker and punter next season? Are there any standout placekickers or punters worth taking on late Day 3 of the draft? (Pat L.)

New York Giants kicker Ben Sauls | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Pat, I think an open competition needs to be held for both spots. Ben Sauls, in my opinion, has earned the right to compete for the job next year.

As for draft prospects, I don't get to follow college football as closely as I'd like, given the demands of the pro season, so I can't speak to any standout prospects right now, nor can I tell you which kickers and punters might even be in the draft.

Circle back with me after the combine when I get a chance to better familiarize myself with the names and talk to people about those positions.

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