Jerry Reese’s seat could not have gotten much hotter without leaving a burn mark two years ago.
The general manager was on notice, placed in that most uncomfortable of positions by co-owner John Mara the same day Tom Coughlin resigned under pressure.
Mara’s message to Reese was simple.
Fix this 6-10 mess, or else.
Since then, the atmosphere around the GM’s office has looked pretty rosy. An 11-5 wildcard rebound and even brighter prospects for this season prompted Mara’s partner, Steve Tisch, to offer Reese a shout-out at the owners’ meeting in Phoenix, indicating that both executives were just delighted with the work he’s done since that day in early January, 2016.