The idea of “tanking” in the NFL is preposterous. Hundreds of millions of dollars are invested into 53 players and a full coaching staff, all of whom are designed to lead multi-billion dollar organizations to the precipice of the football world.
Those at the NFL level are also wired differently. They are among the most competitive humans walking the face of the earth and the idea of shutting that instinctual nature off is a non-starter.
Over the past two decades, only one NFL team has deliberately “tanked” in a single game, and that was the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17 of the 2020 regular season. It was an extremely rare sighting — like seeing Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster.
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Despite the rarity of “tanking” and the near-impossibility of it among players, it’s exactly what Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes the New York Giants should do during the 2024 season.
Whether the Giants can afford to tank in 2024 probably depends on whether owner John Mara is able to extend some grace to Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen for the Daniel Jones contract.
Schoen gave Jones a four-year, $160 million contract last offseason while contract talks with Saquon Barkley stalled and resulted in a one-year deal. Fast-forward to 2024 and Jones’ status as franchise quarterback is still in question. Barkley is now with the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Those Eagles not only added Barkley, but also added Bryce Huff on defense in addition to two new coordinators who could fix their woes from last season. The Cowboys still have a ton of talent even if it feels like everyone is in a contract year. The Commanders have an exciting answer at quarterback and a new head coach.
The Giants have been flailing since 2012. Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch have zero patience for losing, which is evident by the mass head coaching turnover since 2016. There’s absolutely zero percent chance they’re willing to burn their money for no reason in 2024, allowing the embarrassment of the franchise to build further over the next 365 days.
But Ballentine continues.
There are things to get excited about with the Giants. Malik Nabers gives them their biggest potential star at receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. and the defensive line added a huge missing piece in Brian Burns.
But it feels like this offense is still far from providing the Giants with a contender. If Mara can exercise some patients, making moves that would see the team be more competitive with a potential first-round quarterback might be the best path forward.
And how would one sell this to players? An NFL shelf life is short and every player on the roster is compelled to compete in search of their next big contract. Surrendering a full season is not something any of them would swallow.
None of this even takes into account the jobs that would be lost or the assistants that would want out. Tanking certainly wouldn’t reflect well on their resume and it would, potentially, end careers even if Mara and Tisch were somehow drugged and convinced to sign off on it.
So, no. The New York Giants will not be tanking in 2024. It won’t even be so much as a whisper of consideration. Nor should it be.
