Jerry Reese's enduring run with the New York Giants is over.
On the same day the team fired embattled coach Ben McAdoo, the Giants are waving farewell to the club's longtime general manager.
NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala broke the news Monday morning, one day after New York fell to a woeful 2-10 on the year with a 24-17 loss to the Raiders on the West Coast. Kinkhabwala reported that assistant general manager Kevin Abrams will take over the interim-GM role for the rest of the campaign. Owner John Mara later confirmed the changes.
"I met with Jerry Reese at approximately 10:30 this morning, and that's as difficult a meeting that I've ever had," Mara told reporters Monday. "Jerry has been here since 1994. He's homegrown, started as a part-time scout and rose all the way through the ranks to become our general manager and to become the general manager for two Super Bowl teams. I thanked him on behalf of Steve and myself for everything he's done for this organization. I told him I have no doubt he would get another shot with another franchise and that at some point in time I'm going to be answering questions about why I got rid of him in the first place."
Reese was no more secure than McAdoo on the heels of a radioactive decision to bench ironman quarterback Eli Manning after 210 consecutive starts in favor of former Jets washout Geno Smith. The move was met with utter vitriol by a Giants fan base tired of McAdoo's broken-down offense, a unit not helped by Reese's inability to piece together an adequate offensive line for years on end.
Unlike McAdoo, though, Reese leaves the team with a more compelling legacy, having helped author a pair of Super Bowl wins and six winning seasons since assuming the role in 2007.
With just one postseason appearance over the past half-decade, though, Reese's team-building prowess fell under increasing fire despite a playoff appearance in 2016. He exits with a 90-82 regular-season mark to go with an 8-2 playoff record and the two Lombardis.
Speaking on NFL Network, Charley Casserly outlined potential candidates to replace Reese for the Giants.
"At general manager, do the look [at] Kevin Abrams. He's obviously in the building," Casserly said. "Then you got Dave Gettleman who almost got the job when Jerry Reese was hired. He was like 1A. [He] did a good job in Carolina. ... Do they reach back there? Martin Mayhew was in the building for a year. ... [Vikings assistant GM] George Patton in Minnesota and [Packers director of football ops] Elliott Wolf in Green Bay are names that have been interviewed before and are out there."
Mara told reporters Monday that former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi will serve as consultant in the searches for head coach and general manager.
The Giants operate uniquely, measuring their decisions carefully and rarely making such a staggering move in season. This year is different, however, with Big Blue unfurling its worst string of games in decades and facing the daunting task of rebuilding under center.
Chalk up Monday for what it represents in New York: A full-on, massive housecleaning that will provide the next general manager with a sky-high, first-round draft pick and a chance to rebuild what Reese could not.
