Following the New York Giants' offensive struggles in 2023, head coach Brian Daboll conceded on Tuesday that he's considering taking over play-calling duties.
"It's something I'm looking into," Daboll said at the Annual League Meeting, via the team's official website. "I think there's 20 head coaches at this point in time that call plays in the league (either offensively or defensively). … There might be a little bit more. I've been doing a bunch of research, but no decision has been made. I'm still going through that process, thinking about what we need to do."
Daboll earned the Giants' head-coaching gig based partly on his skill leading an explosive Buffalo Bills offense, of which he was the architect and play-caller for four seasons. Since taking over in New York, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has primarily been the man calling the shots.
Daboll considering returning to his roots as a play-caller underscores the importance of the 2024 season.
"Certainly," he said. "I did it for a long time. There's a lot of things that go into it. Part of the evaluation that I talked about, there are some other things that I'm looking into. I take my time and do what I think is best for the team."
One byproduct of Daboll taking over play-calling, if he eventually does, would be how it affects other aspects of his job as head coach. But if the Shanahans, McVays and LaFleurs of the football world can pull it off, one would think Daboll has the skill to balance all parts of the job.
"Still working through that process," Daboll said. "There's quite a bit of people nowadays that do that. So, again, it's something that I'll look into. Whatever I feel is best for the football team, that's the way we go."
