If you’ve spent the last decade watching the Giants, you know the routine. A new coach arrives with a shiny whistle and a "culture change" PowerPoint, and by Year 3, we’re all checking mock drafts by October. It’s been exhausting. Honestly, being a fan of New York Giants football today feels like being in a long-term relationship with someone who keeps promising they'll change but just buys new shoes instead.
But this week? This week feels different.
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The Giants finally stopped overthinking it. They didn't go for the "young offensive genius" or the "underrated coordinator" who’s never sat in the big chair. They went out and got John Harbaugh.
The news officially broke on January 17, 2026. A five-year, $100 million deal. That is a massive number, basically putting him in the same tax bracket as Andy Reid. It’s the kind of move that screams ownership is tired of losing. John Mara and Steve Tisch wined and dined Harbaugh at Elia Mediterranean Restaurant in Jersey, and within 72 hours, the deal was done.
He's here. And he's bringing a Super Bowl ring with him.
The Harbaugh Structure: Power Dynamics at 1925 Giants Drive
One of the weirdest parts about the New York Giants football today landscape is the reporting structure. Usually, the Head Coach reports to the General Manager. That’s NFL 101. But Harbaugh isn't your usual hire.
He’s reporting directly to ownership.
Joe Schoen is still the GM—ownership confirmed he’s back for his fifth year—but the dynamic has shifted. Harbaugh told The Athletic that he and Schoen are "on the same page," but let’s be real: when you’re making $20 million a year and reporting to the guy who signs the checks, you’re the one steering the ship. This setup is meant to mimic the Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta partnership Harbaugh had in Baltimore.
It’s a gamble. If they clash, the building gets toxic fast. If they click? It’s the stability this franchise hasn’t seen since Tom Coughlin was roaming the sidelines in a red transition lens.
Jaxson Dart and the Hope for a Franchise Savior
Let’s talk about the kid. Jaxson Dart.
The 2025 season was a mess—a 4-13 disaster that saw Brian Daboll get fired in November—but Dart was the lone flickering light in the basement. He didn’t even start until Week 4, but he finished the year with 2,272 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. More importantly, he only threw five picks.
He can run, too. 487 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
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Most people get New York Giants football today wrong by thinking the roster is completely talentless. It’s not. It’s just been poorly steered. Dart is a finalist for the NFL’s fan-vote Rookie of the Year for a reason. He’s got that "it" factor. He was actually spotted at a Utah Mammoth hockey game this past weekend, tossing autographed footballs into the crowd and looking like a guy who’s ready to own a city.
He’s already made a vow: "Things are going to change here." Usually, that's just locker room talk. But with Harbaugh coming in—a guy who specialized in building around mobile, high-ceiling quarterbacks—it actually sounds believable.
The 2025 Roster: Who Stays and Who Goes?
The Giants have the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. That is a prime spot.
Looking at the current roster, there’s a weird mix of elite talent and absolute voids.
- Malik Nabers: He was a superstar before a knee injury cut his season short. If he’s 100% by training camp, he’s a top-5 receiver in this league.
- The Defense: Brian Burns and Abdul Carter are legitimate. Carter, the rookie out of Penn State, came on strong late in the year.
- The Problem: The defense ranked 28th in the league. You can’t win games when you’re a sieve.
There’s a lot of chatter about the No. 5 pick. Some fans want another playmaker for Dart. But if you look at Harbaugh’s history, he loves a "best player available" approach. Rumor has it the Giants are eyeing Ohio State’s Caleb Downs. Think Kyle Hamilton, but in Blue. Harbaugh turned Hamilton into an All-Pro in Baltimore, and the prospect of him doing that with a guy like Downs is enough to make any Giants fan actually look forward to Sundays again.
Then there’s the veteran situation. Jameis Winston is on the books for $8 million, but the Giants could save nearly $3 million by cutting him. Do you keep him as a mentor for Dart? Or do you clear the space to find a starting-caliber guard? These are the questions Harbaugh and Schoen have to hammer out by March.
Why This Isn't Just "Another Coaching Hire"
We’ve seen Ben McAdoo. We’ve seen Pat Shurmur. We’ve seen Joe Judge. We’ve seen Brian Daboll.
The common thread? They were all first-time head coaches. They were learning on the job while trying to navigate the loudest media market in the world. It’s a recipe for a meltdown.
Harbaugh is 193-124 in his career. He’s made the playoffs 12 times. He doesn't need to "learn" how to be a head coach. He knows how to manage a locker room, how to talk to the press, and how to tell an owner when to stay out of the film room.
The vibe around the facility right now is "cautious optimism." It’s New York; nobody is throwing a parade for a 4-13 team yet. But for the first time in a decade, the adults are in the room.
What to watch for next:
If you want to stay ahead of the curve on New York Giants football today, keep your eyes on these three specific areas over the next few weeks:
- The Coordinator Search: Watch who Harbaugh brings in. There’s a lot of talk about Todd Monken potentially following him from Baltimore. If that happens, the offense becomes an immediate threat.
- The Medical Reports: Keep an eye on Malik Nabers’ recovery. The Giants’ offense is one-dimensional without him.
- The Combine: Watch the "positional value" talk. If the Giants start interviewing top-tier safeties and interior linemen, it’s a sign that Harbaugh is shifting the focus back to the "trench-up" philosophy that won him a ring in 2012.
The next step for any fan is to monitor the official coaching staff announcements. The Giants typically finalize their assistant coaching pool by early February. Once the defensive coordinator is named, we’ll know exactly how this "new look" defense plans to use Brian Burns and Abdul Carter to climb out of that 28th-ranked hole.