


Struggling right tackle Evan Neal’s criticism of Giants fans for booing was a “poor decision” that he regrets, head coach Brian Daboll said.
Neal issued a written apology on social media hours after telling NJ Advance Media that “the person that’s commenting on my performance, what does he do? Flip hot dogs and hamburgers somewhere?” and adding: “Why would a lion concern himself with the opinion of a sheep?”
“He was frustrated,” Daboll said before Thursday’s practice. “He made a poor choice, poor decision, poor comments. He acknowledged that and we’re moving on.”
Daboll declined to specify if Neal will face discipline.
“We spoke,” Daboll said. “I know that he was very remorseful and regretful for the comments that he made.”
Neal is ranked the No. 68 out of 71 offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus.
He has allowed 20 pressures and his status as the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft makes him the face of the league’s worst-ranked offensive line because All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas is sidelined by a hamstring injury.
After the Giants allowed a league-high 36 pressures and 11 sacks last week, Neal reportedly gestured to the crowd to “boo louder … because that just further shows that people are fair-weather. A lot of fans are bandwagoners.”
The comments set ablaze fans already frustrated by the Giants’ surprise 1-3 start.
“You have to be resilient in this league,” Daboll said. “It’s a humbling league. Whether you are winning a few games and then lose a few games or you lose early, be consistent in your approach to handle things the right way. We had a slip-up there.”
Neal’s written apology said that he was “wrong for lashing out at the fans” and “had no right to make light of anyone’s job.” He called it an “unnecessary distraction for the team.”