The New York Giants have joined the Tennessee Titans in their search for a new head coach.

Another NFL coach fell victim to a slow start on Nov. 10, when the Giants fired coach Brian Daboll amid a 2-8 start to the 2025 season. That makes two Brians who couldn’t survive until Thanksgiving; the Titans split with coach Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start. Now the two teams that went quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft have moved on from the offensive-minded quarterback whisperers they initially tasked with molding them.

Every cycle, the talent pool for new and retread coach candidates is shockingly thin. Expect the Titans to entertain several of the same options the Giants will. In the spirit of that expectation, let’s run through the checklist and see whether the Titans job or the Giants job will be more alluring in the 2026 hiring cycle.

Ownership

Titans: Amy Adams Strunk | Giants: John Mara, Steve Tisch

Neither fanbase is particularly happy with ownership right now, but interestingly for opposite reasons. John Mara has been criticized for being too loyal to floundering coaches and executives, while Adams Strunk frequently catches flak for the constant turnover among the Titans’ ranks. But end of the day, this nod goes to the Giants. Mara’s overseen two Super Bowl runs. Give him the nod on results if for nothing else.

Advantage: Giants

General manager

Titans: Mike Borgonzi | Giants: Joe Schoen

Less is concretely known about Borgonzi, the first-year Titans decision maker, than Schoen, who’s in Year 4 at the helm and will be tasked with selecting Daboll’s successor. This ends up more as a ding on Schoen than Borgonzi. Borgonzi isn’t the guy who extended Daniel Jones instead of Saquon Barkley only to watch both become stars elsewhere and whiff on big-name NFL draft picks like Evan Neal and Deonte Banks.

Advantage: Titans

Quarterback

Titans: Cam Ward | Giants: Jaxson Dart

Dart’s been more effective as a rookie, both as a runner and a passer. He’s also the more injury-prone option if these last few months are any indication. And let’s not forget that the Giants themselves were willing to trade a huge ransom for the rights to pick Ward, so it’s hard not to view Dart as a consolation prize through that lens. Short-term, there’s absolutely no doubt Dart’s been better. But long-term the ceiling is still pretty high for Ward.

Advantage: Titans

Core players at premium positions (non-QB)

Titans: WR Calvin Ridley, OT Dan Moore Jr., OT JC Latham, CB L’Jarius Sneed | Giants: WR Malik Nabers, OT Andrew Thomas, EDGE Brian Burns, EDGE Abdul Carter

We’re defining core positions here as wide receiver, offensive tackle, edge rusher and cornerback. And the Giants have a pretty sizable lead in this department. Burns is one of the league’s best rushers, and Carter is a front-runner to win Defensive Rookie of the Year opposite him. Nabers was one of the best rookies in the NFL in 2024, and Thomas is an All-Pro when healthy. Meanwhile, Ridley and Sneed are injured and struggling and Moore and Latham aren’t living up to expectations.

Advantage: Giants

Core players at non-premium positions

Titans: OL Peter Skoronski, DT Jeffery Simmons | Giants: DL Dexter Lawrence

Not a lot going on here for either team. Lawrence and Simmons are roughly equal, so give the Titans the slight edge on the strength of Skoronski’s potential to be a building block up front.

Advantage: Titans

2025 rookie classes

Titans: Ward, OLB Oluwafemi Oladejo, S Kevin Winston Jr., WR Chimere Dike, TE Gunnar Helm, WR Elic Ayomanor | Giants: Carter, Dart, DT Darius Alexander, RB Cam Skattebo, OL Marcus Mbow

Carter has been world’s better than Oladejo, and Dart is outperforming Ward, as mentioned. But the Titans are getting much more play from Dike, Helm and Ayomanor than the Giants are from their mid-round picks. New York has the higher likelihood of having hit on a true game-changer, but Tennessee has the fuller class so far.

Advantage: Titans

Future assets

Titans: 9 draft picks in 2026, ~$119 million in projected salary cap space | Giants: 7 draft picks in 2026, ~$29 million in projected salary cap space

The Giants had to trade up for Dart, so they’re missing a top-100 pick this year. And the contracts Burns and Thomas carry mean a lot of money is tied up. The Titans are the rare team here benefitting from past failures with limitless promise.

Advantage: Titans

Final verdict

Going to New York means a roster better equipped to compete now. Coming to Nashville means more potential to build from scratch. Either way, you’re a coach inheriting a first-round rookie quarterback. And in the Titans’ case, you’re inheriting a to-this-point underperforming rookie quarterback at that.

The Giants job is safer, and probably requires less-aggressive maneuvering to turn things around. But the Titans job feels better if you’re looking to build a team and culture in your image using the players you specifically want.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at  nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.