John

Harbaugh

After coaching the Ravens for 18 years, it’s no surprise Harbaugh would try to get the band back together in New York. That could include C Tyler Linderbaum, who played under Harbaugh in Baltimore from 2022 to 2025. Linderbaum, 26, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and a potential upgrade for a Giants offensive line that struggled throughout 2025. Harbaugh could also pursue Patrick Ricard and Isaiah Likely in free agency. Harbaugh could also bring in coaches he had during his time in Baltimore.

“This wasn’t about Schoen; the coach definitely feels he can work with the GM. Harbaugh wanted the ability to impact the entire operation, from security to training to analytics to media relations to staff size to assistant salaries to relocation expenses to you name it. And yes, in the unlikely event there’s a stalemate on draft day between Harbaugh and Schoen, there’s no longer any question who will prevail,” O’Connor writes. Well then. Joe Schoen begins the Harbaugh Era as a convenient scapegoat the second it takes more than a year to get things going in the right direction. What could go wrong for him?

And... it’s done. After numerous delays amidst contract minutiae, the two sides have agreed on a five-year contract to make Harbaugh the team’s next head coach. The former Ravens head coach was one of the longest tenured head coaches in the league before being fired last week, quickly landing on his feet with one of the more desirable head coaching vacancies in the league. He’ll be tasked with turning around a franchise that has had little success in the post-Eli era.

Duggan reports that while Harbaugh coached the Ravens for 18 seasons, the 63-year-old head coach reported directly to owner Steve Biscotti and not the general manager. While that has not been the Giants’ chain of command historically, it appears Harbaugh prefers that same setup rather than reporting to Giants GM Joe Schoen. Harbaugh is the first major domino to fall in this offseason’s coaching carousel, which gives the Giants some options if this deal were to fall through, though that’s not seen as likely at this point. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the negotiations are heading in the right direction, according to a source, and the Giants hope to introduce Harbaugh at a press conference on Tuesday.

Over the last few hours, multiple reports have indicated that the two sides are still expected to come to an agreement. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said it “seems like something was lost in translation” during early negotiations, specifically regarding the “reporting structure” and decision-making powers. He adds that the Titans are still “interested and waiting” to find out what happens, while noting that former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski could be “the one” for the Giants if things fall through with Harbaugh.

Per Rapoport, the Giants will spend the morning hammering out the details, but Harbaugh has accepted the job. We should get confirmation on the deal later today. He will become one of the league’s highest-paid coaches once the ink is dry. Things have been moving in this direction for a while. Harbaugh visited the Giants’ facility yesterday, met with the New York brass, and even talked with Jaxson Dart in person. There were reports that he would meet with the Titans today, but those plans have likely been called off. The Giants have won more than eight games just twice in the past 13 seasons. Harbaugh, on the other hand, never won fewer than eight games during his 18-year run as the team’s head coach. He will bring an unmatched floor and cultural shift to the organization. The question now will be what kind of ceiling he can achieve. That was ultimately his issue at the end of his Baltimore days, and it will be the determining factor in whether or not his Giants tenure is a success.

That’s “barring setbacks.” Things have been trending this way for the past few days, though the Titans and Falcons were still hoping to make a race of it. The Giants have the quarterback and the seeming pure desperation to put them over the top in the fight for Harbaugh’s services. We would expect official word to arrive some time on Thursday, likely early in the day.

The Giants reportedly made a “massive push” to get Harbaugh to sign with them today. Of note, Harbaugh met with the Giants at their facility, toured the grounds, and even met with Jaxson Dart today. The Titans, on the other hand, are meeting him at his home. While it does seem like the Giants are in pole position to land the cycle’s hottest name, Harbaugh is still going to talk to the Titans. He will likely meet with Atlanta before making a decision as well.

Harbaugh is currently in New York, meeting with Giants ownership, and they clearly don’t want him walking out of the building without a deal. Per Hughes, “They’re willing to not only pay him, but also whatever his staff wants.” A blank check plus a roster with the quarterback position already figuired out will be hard to turn down. Harbaugh, however, is also being pursued by the Titans and Falcons. Neither job looks as enticing on paper, but it would make sense for him to hear them out, even if that is just to drive up his asking price for the Giants.

O’Connor describes the meeting as a “big development” as multiple teams pursue Harbaugh as their next head coach. The Giants have reportedly been “all in” on landing Harbaugh since he was fired by the Ravens last week. Harbaugh, who won 61.4 percent of his games over 18 seasons in Baltimore, has also talked to the Titans and Falcons about their head coaching vacancies. Jaxson Dart’s hopeful rookie season performance could be the deciding factor for Harbaugh as he weighs his options.