John Mara: New GM, Head Coach to Decide Giants for Life

If Giants co-owner John Mara got his way, he'd probably like to see running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones (among others) become Giants for life.

But don't expect Mara to lay down that edict when his still-to-be-determined general manager and head coach arrive in the building, as it will be that combination of general manager and head coach who will have the loudest say in who gets the "lifer" status.

"In terms of ... anyone you want to ask me about, that’s going to be between the general manager and the head coach," Mara said Wednesday.

Mara tried to clear up some confusion about the roles played by ownership, which includes his brother Chris and his nephew, Tim McDonnell, in building the franchise.

He stressed that neither his brother nor his nephew has any decision-making power and that their role is to evaluate personnel and provide their input into the team's data collection system. and that the general manager and head coach are the ones that must reach a consensus on player personnel.

"All personnel decisions in this building – and this has always been the case – have been made by the general manager and the head coach," Mara said.

"When they agree on a personnel decision, they come to me with it, and as long as they’re both in agreement, I okay it. The only times I would possibly not do that is if there was an off-the-field conduct issue."

With Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge, two of the biggest supporters of Saquon Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones, no longer on staff, all players under contract will need to justify their place on the roster through their work ethic and on-field performance.

Join the Giants Country Community