If Pat Shurmur’s short tenure as the New York Giants head coach comes to an end on Monday, it will not be because he lost his players.
Despite their regression in 2019 and their 4-12 finish, players were firmly in Shurmur’s corner the entire time and that remained the case on Sunday night in the face of pending upheaval.
“Coach Shurmur is a very, very positive guy and, to me, he’s been consistent from the moment I’ve stepped in this building and I really appreciate that,” wide receiver Golden Tate told reporters. “It’s easy to start blaming and pointing fingers and throwing in the towel. He’s been awesome to be around. He cares about his players [and] his coaches from top-to-bottom. I’m sure you guys have spent some time with him and have seen him up and down the hallways. He’s just a very calm, cool, collected guy and I really enjoyed it. I hope I have a chance to work with him again.”
Running back Saquon Barkley believes the Giants are building something special and there’s a concern that a coaching change might upset that development.
“Our focus is not whether we are getting a new coach or not. You heard me say it, you heard [Daniel Jones] say it, everybody that has talked has said we believe in the coaching staff here,” Barkley said.
Jones has been one of Shurmur’s biggest supporters and his final words on an otherwise forgettable night were once again in defense of his coach.
“Since I’ve gotten here, Coach Shurmur has supported me and worked with me. He’s been instrumental for my growth and development. Whether it was a good performance or a bad performance, I felt like he has always been supportive of me this season. I certainly support him and believe in him as a coach. I think he’s a tremendous football coach,” Jones said.
If Shurmur had to make one argument in his favor, his best bet would be pointing to the locker room and letting the players’ words speak for themselves. He never lost them. Not for a single second.
Say what you want about Shurmur, but keeping his players engaged and fighting during a 4-12 season that featured a nine-game losing streak is nothing to shake a stick at.
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