Giants GM Dave Gettleman Retires After 19-46 Record over 4 Seasons

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New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman announced his retirement Monday after four years with the franchise:

"It was a privilege to serve as the general manager of the New York Giants the last four years and to have spent so many years of my career with this franchise. We obviously have not had the on-the-field success I expected, and that is disappointing. However, I have many fond memories here, including two Super Bowl victories, and I wish the team and organization only the best moving forward. There are many good people here who pour their souls into this organization. I am proud to have worked alongside them."

USA Today's Josina Anderson first reported Gettleman's decision.

His departure comes after the Giants finished 4-13 and last in the NFC East in 2021. New York missed the playoffs in each of Gettleman's four seasons at GM, with a 19-46 record overall.

For many fans, the arrival of a new GM will be long overdue.

It looked like a reach at the time, and history hasn't been kind to New York selecting Daniel Jones with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft. Jones has thrown for 8,389 yards, 45 touchdowns and 29 interceptions through 38 games over three seasons.

The Giants might soon be looking for a new starting quarterback.

Gettleman couldn't foresee Saquon Barkley suffering a torn ACL in 2020, but the injury was a reminder of why taking a running back with the No. 2 overall pick carried an added level of risk.

Ownership has also allowed Gettleman to rebuild with investment through free agency, the results of which have been a disaster.

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There was little reason to think things would change if the 70-year-old got one more offseason to turn things around.

A GM change might do little, though, with Anderson reporting Joe Judge is expected to stay on as head coach.

Judge has a 10-23 record in two years at the helm, and his postgame press conferences have become must-watch television for those who aren't invested in the Giants' success.

Among his greatest hits are his insisting the Giants "ain’t some clown show organization." That was the same press conference in which he claimed some former players were "still calling me twice a week telling me how much they wish they were still here even though they’re getting paid more somewhere else."

That narrative didn't hold up to scrutiny.

How about that time Judge said he was "encouraged in a lot of ways" following a 37-21 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers.

His play-calling in Sunday's 22-7 loss to the Washington Football Team made headlines for the wrong reasons as well. Nothing says a coach has confidence in his offense more than running a quarterback sneak on 3rd-and-9 inside his team's 10-yard line.

Maybe Gettleman is the biggest problem behind the scenes, and Judge would thrive with a new lead decision-maker in the front office.

Based on how this year unfolded, though, anything short of a clean slate might not be enough to reverse the Giants' fortunes in 2022.