Over the last several seasons, the New York Giants have been a toxic lover.
They’ve repeatedly promised their fans that things would get better, only to leave them with disappointment and confusion as to what the future holds.
That was until they shook up the sports world overnight on Jan. 14 by striking a deal with John Harbaugh as their head coach heading into the 2026-2027 season. After taking some days to work out some details, Harbaugh signed a five-year contract.
The Giants were very aggressive in landing this deal with Harbaugh, and they didn’t necessarily hide just how desperate they were to bring him in. Not that the curtain was closed to begin with. Everyone knew they would be searching for an experienced coach to lead this young core to success this year.
Most thought it would be Mike McCarthy or Kevin Stefanski. But the second Harbaugh hit the market, the Giants knew they needed to shift their focus. It was reported that seven teams contacted Harbaugh within 45 minutes of being fired. The Giants knew they would have to act swiftly.
They set out to cast a wide net, and somehow managed to pull out the biggest fish in the ocean. The rising action to the deal wasn’t pretty, but as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Aggression shows Desperation
The Giants made it very clear that they wanted to get a deal done with Harbaugh the night of his visit. They barely even let the guy get on his flight to go home, where he was scheduled to meet with the Tennessee Titans.
Since the Jan. 6 firing, Joe Schoen was all-in on their pursuit of Harbaugh.
New York essentially assembled the Giants’ version of the Avengers to recruit him. From Chris Mara visiting Harbaugh in his home, to Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin, and Brian Daboll all calling Harbaugh, the Giants had no shortage of influential voices pitching their position.
They even offered Harbaugh free rein to run his system from day one. That means leading the coordinator search and having some discretion in the roster decisions. All while making $20 million per year.
Everything they did was aggressive, and everything they did was publicized. They truly weren’t holding anything back from the media while in pursuit.
Overnight Credibility
Harbaugh brings instant stability and credibility to a New York football team that hasn’t had a true leader since Tom Coughlin’s reign ended in 2015.
Since 2008, Harbaugh has a record of 180-133, good for a .614 win percentage. He won the SuperBowl in 2012 with Baltimore, but has struggled as a coach in the playoffs otherwise. Since the 2012 SuperBowl, the Ravens have made seven playoff appearances and played in 11 games, winning only four.
The Giants’ main concern right now can’t be playoff success–not coming off a four-win season. They must first change their culture, and with Harbaugh being the locker room cultivator he is, he seems like the best fit to do so in New York.
Return to Form
The G-Men were desperate for a return to competency.
In the post-Coughlin era, the Giants have gone through four head coaches. They have made only two playoff appearances and have finished last in the NFC East in five of the last 10 years.
First, it was Ben McAdoo, who had a promising 11-5 start in his first year, but was cursed by the infamous boat trip in Miami before their loss in the wildcard round. After the curse, McAdoo was 2-10 before being fired in 2017, with his biggest impact as HC being ending Eli Manning’s starting streak.
Then there was Pat Shurmur, the “Quarterback Guru”. Shurmur was 9-23 in two seasons. After Shurmur, Joe Judge. He was 10-23 in two seasons. Things looked better after Brian Daboll brought the Giants to the playoffs in his first year, but in his last three seasons with the team, he was 11-33.
The Giants were also simultaneously doomed by GM decisions. There was the Odell trade just mere weeks after then-GM Dave Gettleman said, “We didn’t sign him to trade him.” There was the Daniel Jones $40 million per year extension, and then the cutting of Daniel Jones. Finally, they let Saquon Barkley walk after saying he wanted to be a Giant for life, only for him to win a ring in Philly the following season.
https://twitter.com/SharpFBAnalysis/status/1810878818263126434
Harbaugh gives fans at least a sliver of hope that the team will return to having a positive culture and locker room competency. Harbaugh will have more control of the roster, will have his hand on the coaching staff, and is seemingly ecstatic to work with this young, talented group.
https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/2012628508602728918
Potential Downsides
John Harbaugh and the Giants always seemed like the best fit in the coaching carousel this year. That isn’t to say there aren’t some potential downsides.
The first is the probability that he’ll be bringing over his staff from Baltimore. Most Giants fans agree that OC Todd Monken would be a good fit with Jaxson Dart, with how efficiently he worked RPOs into the Ravens’ offense to maximize Lamar Jackson’s talents.
With a dynamic quarterback, a bully-ball style running back in Cam Skattebo, and an elite receiver in Malik Nabers, this Giants offense could be a lot of fun to watch if Monken makes the trip over.
However, there is concern that DC Zach Orr would also come over to the Giants, although neither coordinator is confirmed. Orr led the 30th-ranked passing defense last year and the 31st-ranked passing defense the year prior. With the Giants’ weak secondary depth, this match could be a disaster waiting to happen.
There is also the concern that Lamar Jackson is credited for much of Harbaugh’s success in Baltimore. This season, the 1-5 start without Jackson exposed that a bit. That said, there is no reason the Harbaugh-Dart duo can’t be just as successful. If they can keep him healthy, that is.
The last potential downside is that Harbaugh’s deal is for five years, which shows he isn’t seen as a long-term fix for the Giants. With a large bulk of the talent on the roster still being on rookie deals, the Giants have a serious opportunity to build something successful within those years. However, long-term success remains a question mark for the time being.
Despite a few concerns, Giants fans’ excitement is absolutely warranted. The positives far outweigh the potential negatives.
Huge W for the G-Men
The Giants will be watching this year’s Super Bowl from the couch, but this is their biggest win as an organization since Eli “The Brady Slayer” Manning won them their last title in 2012.
The fans and the franchise needed this one badly, and it showed in their whatever-it-takes tactics to land Harbaugh before he even met with other teams of interest.
Harbaugh brings in some much-needed stability, winning experience, and integrity to the locker room. Things are finally looking up for this young core of talent now that they have a true leader to guide them.
There’s a desperation for a culture change in New York, and the way the Giants handled their head coaching search reflects that. They were willing to bow down to Harbaugh’s high demands, went aggressive in their approach, and made a deal before he could formally meet with anybody else. They knew they couldn’t let this guy walk, and in doing so, it may save Joe Schoen’s job as GM, save the franchise for the time being, and save the fans from another season of misery and despair.
Leave a comment