The New York Giants are firing head coach Pat Shurmur, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday morning.
The decision comes less than 24 hours after the team’s season finale, a 34-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that dropped them to 4-12 on the season.
It was a step in the wrong direction for Shurmur, who along with Dave Gettleman helped gut key members of a Giants team that went 5-11 in 2018. That included the trading of Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon along with the decision to move on from Landon Collins.
Shurmur’s biggest claim to fame, however, will be the call he made to bench Eli Manning following Week 2, making way for rookie Daniel Jones to lead a GIants team that lacked an effective offensive line, legitimate outside playmakers, and a staunch defense.
Jones showed plenty of promise in his rookie season, suggesting the Giants were right to select him so high.
But while the team now has a tantalizing offensive core to build around with Jones and running back Saquon Barkley, Shurmur continued to find ways to lose games rather than win them. Five of New York’s losses were by a touchdown or less as questionable second-half decisions became commonplace for the head coach.
His 9-23 record at the helm of the GIants provides the third-worst winning percentage (.281) in franchise history.
The Giants will now be looking for their fourth head coach in six years after recently moving on from Tom Coughlin and Ben McAdoo before Shurmur’s quick stint.
Per Schefter, the new head coach will have a say whether or not Gettleman will be back with the organization in 2020.
