New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is looking for his players to channel their inner pirate in 2025.
Bowen is entering his second season as the defensive coordinator under Giants head coach Brian Daboll. With mandatory minicamp quickly approaching, Bowen has added a new prop to the sideline that he hopes will help incentivize big plays this year.
The Giants now have a “turnover chest,” as in a treasure chest. Bowen told reporters on Thursday that he has been urging defensive players to “be a damn pirate.”
Bowen said he got the idea for the turnover chest from his son’s tee ball team.
#Giants DC Shane Bowen has a takeaway chest at practice, with that being a point of emphasis for this team. Says the idea came from his son’s tee ball team, who are the Pirates. They want to “steal possessions… Be a damn pirate.”
— Madelyn Burke (@MadelynBurke) June 5, 2025
The Miami Hurricanes football team started using a turnover chain years ago, which is a huge gold chain that is placed around the neck of any player that comes away with a turnover. The idea has become extremely popular, and several other teams now do similar things on the sideline.
Bowen’s defense allowed 24.4 points per game last season, which ranked 21st in the NFL. They ranked near the bottom of the league with only 15 takeaways and had a turnover differential of -8.
Taking the ball away is something the Giants need to get better at this season. Perhaps the pirate persona will help motivate them.