3 dream Brian Daboll replacements the Giants should bring in for a new QB

The New York Giants announced they are benching quarterback Daniel Jones for Tommy DeVito and it seems his time in East Rutherford is most likely done after 2024. It also means another failed season is sending Brian Daboll out the door too. 

Jones was always a controversial quarterback to re-sign because he never really did anything to earn a $160 million contract. And after it’s all said and done, he’s going to join Deshaun Watson as the biggest thieves of the NFL. 

So as a new era is among the Giants organization as they are still looking for their franchise player in the post Eli Manning era, let’s take a look at which coaches should replace Daboll that will inherit a new quarterback and be tasked with the latest Giants rebuild. 

3 dream Brian Daboll replacements the Giants should bring in for a new QB

1) Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns, head coach

A few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have said Kevin Stefanski would be on the move after this season. Jameis Winston injected new life into a Cleveland team reeling from a bad financial decision and it looked like Winston wouldn’t just earn himself a job in Cleveland or elsewhere, but Stefanski deserved another year to prove this was a fluke. 

But terrible losses in the last two games just means it’s time to clean house. And he could potentially have a new start in New York and with it a quarterback of his choosing. The Giants are on a crash course to duke it out with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Browns for the coveted No. 1 pick. 

And while Travis Hunter seems like the foregone first pick in the 2025 draft, it would behoove Stefanski to run it back with Jones. With Malik Nabors, getting a quarterback like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders with a top pick should be a priority. It would be a chance for Stefanski to flex his offensive mind in a new system and away from the dumpster fire that is Cleveland right now. 

Stefanski won two coach of the year awards in Cleveland so he’s certainly head coach caliber even if it’s all gone downhill in 2024 for him. The Giants should inquire on what the Browns plan on doing and if they can pluck him from the coast of Lake Erie. 

2) Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions, offensive coordinator

Ben Johnson has been unbelievable as the Lions’ offensive coordinator this season. He’s throwing around trick plays like it’s a closed practice and running the score up on teams without batting an eye. 

I’d be shocked if he returns to Detroit next season and his offensive mind with a rookie quarterback could be a recipe for getting the Giants back on track. Detroit is the top team in the NFC and as good as Aaron Glenn’s been as a defensive coordinator, what Johnson is doing this season is truly remarkable. 

NFL offenses typically aren’t flashy like the Lions. They don’t have multiple games of scoring 50-plus points and have five games of 40 or more points. What Johnson is doing in Detroit isn’t because they’re playing bad defenses – though that’s not the case for all – it’s because their offense is that good. 

Johnson obviously won’t be blessed with an offense that features Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta in New York. But he’ll have full reign to add whatever pieces he needs to turn things around. 

3) Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders, offensive coordinator

It may be too early to give Kliff Kingsbury another shot at leading an NFL team again, but what he’s done with the Commanders this season and Jayden Daniels is exactly what earned him his first NFL head coaching gig in Arizona. 

He’s worked with Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes and now Daniels. When he’s handed a talented quarterback, he’s going to get the best out of them. With New York, he’d almost certainly in line to get just about any quarterback he wants. 

Imagine Sanders or Ward with an offensive mind like Kingsbury. New York could be the best chance for him to have a second chance as a head coach. He wouldn’t necessarily have the pressure to win now and even if he did, he’d be given grace to do it in a couple years. 

I’m not quite sure what went wrong with the Giants and Daboll taking over and things falling apart with Jones. But this next group of coaching candidates features a litany of coaches that have brilliant offensive minds. That’s something the Giants front office has to be thrilled with as they are going to be in the market for a new coach and quarterback.