REPORT: Giants Expected to Hire Pat Shurmur as Next Head Coach

The New York Giants are expected to hire Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as their next head coach.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network was the first to report the news of Shurmur’s landing spot with the Giants. The deal will not be finalized until the end of the Vikings season. The news comes less than 24 hours after Minnesota’s walk-off victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Work With the Vikings

This season, Shurmur has picked up a lot of steam in the NFL head coaching carousel. A lot can be said about his work with probably the most confusing quarterback situations in the entire league. Teddy Bridgewater was already out due to a devastating knee injury suffered in August 2016. Once Sam Bradford went down with a knee injury earlier this season, Case Keenum stepped up to the plate. And did he ever step up. The former undrafted rookie out of Houston had himself an MVP-caliber season, throwing for 3,547 yards, 22 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Let’s not forget the work that he has done with wide receiver Adam Thielen. Under his two years with Shurmur, Thielen emerged as a top receiver in the league, posting 967 and 1,276 yards in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

This season, Shurmur’s offense ranks 11th in total offense (356.9 yards per game), 11th in passing (234.6), and seventh in rushing (122.3). Not only that, but the Vikings have the third-best third down conversion rating (43.5), as well as the tenth-most points scored per game (23.9).

Previous Head Coaching Experience

Shurmur was previously head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2011-2012. After serving as Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator from 2013-2015, he was promoted to interim head coach after Chip Kelly’s firing. Shurmur has a 10-23 overall record, nine wins coming with Cleveland, and one with the Eagles.

What to Expect With the Giants

With the Vikings offensive mind expected to take his coaching talents to the Giants, he inherits struggling offense over the past couple of years under Ben McAdoo. Eli Manning is entering the twilight of his career, but has Davis Webb’s waiting in the wings. Perhaps most interesting is New York owns the No. 2 overall pick in this years NFL Draft, which is expected to be used for a quarterback. Shurmur will be going from Thielen and Stefon Diggs, to Odell Beckham Jr and Sterling Shepard.

It’s safe to say, Beckham was rather excited at the Shurmur news.

httpss://twitter.com/OBJ_3/status/953016350703697920

It is a new era for the Giants, and Pat Shurmur will man the helm to turn around a franchise who had a dreadful 2017 season.