The Giants have missed the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons, including the last four years, and co-owner John Mara admits it “is a fear of mine” that the team could be mired in the kind of rut that saw them miss the playoffs for 17 straight years in the 1960s and 1970s.
Mara made that comment while answering a question about the team spending big to land free agents wide receiver Kenny Golladay and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and said that fear is among the reasons “we committed so much money this offseason.”
Mara said he doesn’t like going big in free agency and noted doing so in 2016 bore little reward for the team, but he said he’s more comfortable with this year’s investments. He believes the team’s moves leave them with a good enough roster to make the playoffs, but stopped short of saying there was an organizational mandate to make it happen.
“I’d be very disappointed if things don’t turn around quickly. . . . I’m starting to get impatient,” Mara said, via Ian O’Connor of the New York Post. “It’s been a while. I’m tired of explaining to fans at the end of every season, ‘Things are getting better. We’re on the right track.’ You lose credibility with them. . . . I’m not saying we have to [make the playoffs] this year. I never want to be in that business. I don’t think we’re a finished product by any stretch of the imagination. We need to add more pieces. But looking at the players we have added, there’s reason to think we’ll be in the playoffs sooner rather than later.”
Mara had nothing but good things to say about quarterback Daniel Jones and head coach Joe Judge, but another flop come the regular season won’t do much to convince anyone that the team is on the right track.