During his introductory press conference as the Giants head coach, John Harbaugh had glowing things to say about quarterback Jaxson Dart and the feeling is mutual.
Dart said that players “were all really, really excited about and wanted to have” Harbaugh when his name came up as a candidate to replace the fired Brian Daboll. He said that he expects to do “a whole lot of winning” with Harbaugh on the team’s sideline.
“He was just a coach who I feel like I just bought into the things that he was saying immediately, and just the way that he carries himself and can conduct himself in front of a room and his track record is incredible,” Dart said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. “So immediately the winning culture, the intensity, and then just the enthusiasm and love about football, that’s what he carries and brings to the team. So, just can’t wait to get started and get rolling with him.”
The two men won’t be able to start on football work for some time, but there should be a lot of positive conversations about what’s on tap in the months before the Giants can get the Harbaugh era fully underway.
Giants Clips
The 2025 regular season has come to an end and 14 teams will be moving on to the postseason in pursuit of a Super Bowl title.
For some of the 18 teams who have played their final games, attention will now shift to finding new head coaches and/or General Managers to help their own bids for success in the future. This tracker will keep tabs on who has been let go and who is in the mix for the vacancies around the league.
Arizona Cardinals: Fired head coach Jonathan Gannon on January 5. Expected to interview Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Requested interviews with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Requested interview with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Requested interview with Patriots passing game coordinator Thomas Brown. Set to interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy on January 9. Expected to interview Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Requested interview with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Requested interview with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Scheduled to interview Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter on January 13. Requested interview with Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke. Requested interview with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Interviewed former Falcons coach Raheem Morris in person. Scheduled to interview LaFleur on January 16. Scheduled for second interview with Saleh for January 20. Interviewed Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady on January 20. Scheduled second interview with Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile for January 22. Scheduled second interview with Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver for January 25. Scheduled second interview with LaFleur for January 26 and January 27.
Atlanta Falcons: Fired head coach Raheem Morris and General Manager Terry Fontenot on January 4. Requested interviews with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Expected to speak with former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. Requested interview with Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham. Requested interview with Panthers executive vice president Brandt Tilis as well as Lions COO Mike Disner for their president of football operations job. Requested interview with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Completed interviews with Disner and Tilis for the president of football operations job. Completed interview with 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams for the president of football ops job. Completed interview with Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham for the president of football ops job. Hired Matt Ryan as president of football on January 10. Interviewed Kubiak and Weaver on January 10. Interviewed Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde on January 10. Interviewed Stefanski on January 11. Requested interview with Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Requested interview with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Set to interview former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel on January 12. Announced completed interview with former Ravens HC John Harbaugh on January 12. Completed interview with McDaniel. Requested interview with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Expected to interview former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce. Interviewed Hafley on January 15. Scheduled to interview Pierce on January 16. Scheduled to interview Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady on January 18. Conducting second interview with Stefanski on January 17. Hired Stefanski as their new head coach on January 17. Requested G.M. interviews with Steelers assistant G.M. Andy Weidl, Cunningham, Texans assistant G.M. James Liipfert, and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams. Interviewed Weidl on January 22. Interviewed Liipfert on January 22. Requested interview with Eagles senior personnel director Joe Douglas. Interviewed Cunningham, Williams, Douglas and Chiefs assistant GM Mike Bradway on January 23.
Baltimore Ravens: Fired head coach John Harbaugh on January 6. Requested interviews with Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Set to interview Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb on January 8. Set to interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy on January 11. Set to interview Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores the week of January 12. Requested interview with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Completed an interview with Webb on January 8. Requested interview with Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Interviewed Kubiak on January 9. Interviewed former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on January 9. Interviewed Nagy on January 11. Requested interview with Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. Set to interview former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. Scheduled interview with former Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury on January 12. Scheduled interview with Weaver on January 12. Requested interview with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Requested interview with Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Interviewed Flores on January 13. Interviewed Schwartz on January 14. Interviewed Minter on January 14. Scheduled to interview Saleh on January 18. Interviewed McDaniel on January 15. Scheduled to interview Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula on January 16. Scheduled to interview Scheelhaase on January 16. Announced interview with Brady on January 18. Announced interview with Saleh on January 18. Interviewed Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile on January 19. Scheduled for second interview with Weaver on January 20. Expected to interview Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi. Set for second interview with Brady. Expected to have a second interview with Minter. Hired Minter on January 22.
Buffalo Bills: Fired head coach Sean McDermott on January 19. Scheduled interview with Commanders running backs coach/run game coordinator Anthony Lynn for January 24. Expected to interview their offensive coordinator Joe Brady and former Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Requested interview with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Requested interview with Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski. Completed interview with Brady on January 21. Scheduled to interview Udinski on January 25. Completed interview with Daboll on January 22. Requested interview with Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Scheduled to interview Weaver on January 24. Interviewed former Chargers and Colts quarterback Philip Rivers on January 23. Interviewed Weaver on January 24. Interested in interviewing Broncos quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb. Interviewed Udinski on January 25. Interviewed Webb on January 26. Requested an interview with Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
Cleveland Browns: Fired head coach Kevin Stefanski on January 5. Requested interview with Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Requested interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde. Requested interview with Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher. Will interview Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees on January 8. Will interview defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on January 8. Will interview Durde and Pitcher on January 9. Requested interview with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Interviewed Monken on January 10. Requested interview with Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. Set to interview former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel on January 12. Requested interview with Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski. Scheduled to interview Scheelhaase on January 16. Scheduled a second interview with Schwartz on January 18. Interviewed Minter on January 16. Interviewed Udinski on January 17. Scheduled for second interview with Monken on January 20. Set for second interviews with McDaniel, Minter, Scheelhaase, and Udinski. Completed second interview with Schwartz on January 19. McDaniel withdrew from consideration on January 20. Completed second interview with Monken on January 20. Held second interview with Udinski on January 23. Interviewed Commanders running backs coach/run game coordinator Anthony Lynn on January 24. Udinski withdrew from consideration on January 26. Completed second interview with Scheelhaase on January 26.
Las Vegas Raiders: Fired head coach Pete Carroll on January 5. Expected to interview Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Requested interview with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Requested interview with Broncos quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator Davis Webb. Scheduled to interview Webb on January 7. Set to interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy on January 8. Scheduled to interview Joseph on January 8 and Kubiak on January 9. Set to interview former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on January 8. Requested interview with Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. Expected to interview Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Requested interview with Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Requested interview with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Requested interview with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Requested interview with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Completed interviews with Minter and Evero. Scheduled to interview LaFleur on January 16. Scheduled to interview Scheelhaase on January 16. Interviewed Hafley on January 15. Scheduled to interview former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel on January 19. Scheduled second interview with Evero for week of January 19. Scheduled interview with former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel on January 19. Scheduled second interviews with Minter and Hafley. Interviewed Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak on January 18. Completed second interview with Minter on January 20. Completed second interview with Evero. Interviewed former Giants head coach Brian Daboll on January 24. Expected to interview Webb a second time. Completed second interview with Brady on January 26.
Miami Dolphins: Fired General Manager Chris Grier on October 31. Fired head coach Mike McDaniel on January 8. Requested interviews with 49ers vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad, Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby, Rams assistant GM John McKay, Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams on January 5. Requested interview with 49ers assistant GM RJ Gillen on January 5. Requested interview with Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander. Announced a final four of Alexander, Sullivan, Williams and their interim GM, Champ Kelly. Set to interview Alexander and Sullivan January 8. Hired Sullivan as their GM on January 9. Interviewed Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on January 10. Requested interview with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Requested interview with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Requested interview with Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. Requested interview with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Interviewed former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on January 13. Requested interview with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Requested interview with Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. Interviewed Hafley on January 14. Scheduled to interview Minter and Saleh on January 15. Completed interviews with Minter and Saleh on January 15. Scheduled to interview Shula on January 16. Scheduled second interview with Hafley for January 19. Interviewed Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady on January 18. Interviewed Graham and Sheppard on January 19. Hired Hafley as the 12th full-time head coach in team history on January 19.
New York Giants: Fired head coach Brian Daboll on November 10. Expected to speak with former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. Expected to interview Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Requested interview with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Requested interview with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Scheduled interview with former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy for January 13. Set to interview Stefanski on January 7. Completed interview with interim head coach Mike Kafka on January 7. Set to interview former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on January 8. Set to interview Giants Super Bowl winning linebacker and former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce on January 8-9. Requested interview with Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi. Set to interview Rizzi on January 10. Requested interview with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Requested interview with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Interviewed former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on January 14. Finalizing deal with Harbaugh on January 14. Announced Harbaugh as their new head coach on January 17.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin stepped down as head coach on January 13. Requested interview with Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. Requested interview with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Requested interview with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Requested interview with Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Requested interview with Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Requested interview with 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak. Scheduled to interview Shula on January 16. Scheduled to interview Scheelhaase on January 16. Scheduled to interview Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley on January 17. Expected to speak to former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Expected to have in-person interviews with Flores and Weaver. Scheduled to interview McCarthy on January 21. Completed interview with Flores on January 20. Interviewed Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Had second interview with Weaver on January 23. Hired McCarthy on January 24.
Tennessee Titans: Fired head coach Brian Callahan on October 13. Requested interview with Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy on January 5. Requested interviews with Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on January 5. Requested interview with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo on January 5. Will reportedly interview former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris later in the week of January 5. Expected to speak with former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. Scheduled interviews with Stefanski for January 10 and with Morris for January 11. Scheduled interview with Anarumo for January 7. Scheduled interview with Nagy for January 8. Expected to interview Joseph. Scheduled interview with Spagnuolo on January 8. Requested interview with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Requested interviews with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Requested interviews with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Scheduled interview with former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel for January 14. Interviewed Stefanski on January 10. Scheduled to interview former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon on January 18. Scheduled to interview former Giants head coach Brian Daboll on January 16. Scheduled to interview Hafley on January 13. Scheduled to interview Minter on January 13. Interviewed McDaniel and Smith on January 14. Scheduled to interview Saleh on January 18. Scheduled to interview former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy on January 17. Scheduled second interview with Hafley for January 20. Set for second interview with Nagy. Scheduled for in-person interview with Saleh on January 19. Completed second interviews with Nagy and Saleh. Finalizing deal with Saleh on January 20.
The Browns may take both of the defensive awards handed out at this year’s NFL Honors.
Defensive end Myles Garrett is the favorite to be named the defensive player of the year after setting the single-season sack record and linebacker Carson Schwesinger has the best odds of being named the league’s defensive rookie of the year.
Schwesinger was a second-round pick last year and he went on to start all 16 games he played during his rookie campaign. He finished the year with 156 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, and 11 tackles for loss.
Two Falcons — safety Xavier Watts and edge rusher James Pearce — join Schwesinger, Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter, and Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori as the finalists for this year’s award.
Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has been the betting favorite to win offensive rookie of the year for some time and he officially became a finalist for the award on Thursday.
McMillan was a first-round pick last April and he posted 70 catches, 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns for the NFC South champs. If McMillan wins the award, he’ll join Cam Newton as the only Panthers to receive the honor.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough might have surpassed McMillan as the favorite with more time in the starting lineup. Even if he falls short of hearing his name announced at the NFL Honors event in February, Shough’s provided reason for hope about the future in New Orleans.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, and Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson are the other finalists this year.
Word of changes to the Giants’ coaching staff under John Harbaugh have started to surface and they’re reportedly making changes involving the athletic training department as well.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the team is expected to bring in a new head athletics trainer. That person is expected to have ties to Harbaugh from the Ravens and the overall training staff is expected to be restructured as well.
Rapoport reports that Ronnie Barnes is expected to remain in the organization with a role overseeing the department. Barnes has been with the Giants for half a century and is so well regarded in the organization that he’s a member of their Ring of Honor. In addition to serving for decades as head athletics trainer, Barnes has a Senior Vice President title with the team.
We’re told that Barnes will keep his Senior V.P. title and the new head trainer will report to Barnes.
More changes are sure to follow in various areas of the team as the move to hire Harbaugh will have ripple effects throughout the club.
The Giants have started letting go of coaches from their 2025 staff and they’ve also started the process of filling John Harbaugh’s first staff.
Their first target is a coach Harbaugh knows well. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that they have requested an interview with Ravens assistant head coach/running backs coach Willie Taggart.
Taggart joined the Ravens as a position coach in 2023 and added the assistant head coach title in 2025. He was previously a head coach at Western Kentucky, South Florida, Oregon, Florida State, and Florida Atlantic.
Reports have indicated that Todd Monken is Harbaugh’s preferred choice at offensive coordinator. Monken had a second interview for the Browns’ head coaching job this week, but his availability would likely make Taggart a candidate for a different role with the Giants in 2026.
John Harbaugh has started to put his stamp on the Giants.
The head coach has started to meet with members of the team’s 2025 coaching staff in order to let them know that they will not be retained for his first year as the team’s head coach. Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports that special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial is among those coaches.
Ghobrial spent the last two seasons with the team. The Ravens are currently blocking special teams coordinator Chris Horton from interviewing with other teams, so Harbaugh will either have to look elsewhere to fill the role or wait to see if Horton becomes free once the Ravens hire a new head coach.
According to multiple reports, the Giants will also part ways with defensive line coach Andre Patterson. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports that inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu, secondary coach/pass game coordinator Marquand Manuel, and cornerbacks coach Jeff Burris have been let go as well.
On the personnel side, senior vice president of football operations and strategy Kevin Abrams is out and more changes are expected in all phases of football operations as Harbaugh shapes the franchise.
Changes are coming quickly for the New York Giants.
PFT has confirmed that long-time executive Kevin Abrams is no longer with the team. The move, we’re told, is part of the restructuring of the team.
Abrams had spent 27 years with the Giants. Most recently, he was the senior vice president of football operations and strategy. He had spent 20 years as the team’s assistant G.M. after getting started as a salary-cap analyst.
The move comes only days after the arrival of new coach John Harbaugh. So it’s either one hell of a coincidence, or it’s tangible evidence of he extent to which Harbaugh will be taking over his new team.
It meshes with indications that the delay in the negotiation of Harbaugh’s contract wasn’t just about whether he’ll report to G.M. Joe Schoen or directly to ownership. Harbaugh, as we’ve heard it, wants to put his stamp on everything — strength and conditioning, training, medical, all of it.
The obvious question in the aftermath of Abrams leaving is who’s next? And how many more long-time employees will go as the new CEO of the football team gets up to speed?
The Browns lost a head coaching candidate on Tuesday, but they also completed a second interview with another one.
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken joined Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz as candidates who have had multiple meetings with the team. The interview came on the same day that Mike McDaniel dropped out of consideration for the job in order to become the offensive coordinator for the Chargers.
Monken is also believed to be the top candidate to be the Giants’ offensive coordinator. He was on John Harbaugh’s staff in Baltimore for the last three seasons, so the fit would be an obvious one if he does not land the job in Cleveland.
Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski are also scheduled to interview with the Browns this week. Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase is also on the second interview list, but cannot meet with the team before the NFC Championship Game.
The Eagles interviewed Brian Daboll for their offensive coordinator vacancy on Tuesday, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Philadelphia is seeking a replacement for Kevin Patullo, who the Eagles fired after only one season on the job.
The Giants fired Daboll on Nov. 10 after a 2-8 start to his fourth season. He went 20-40-1 with one playoff appearance in his time in New York.
He interviewed for the Titans’ head coaching job, which went to Robert Saleh, and for the Chargers’ offensive coordinator job before they hired Mike McDaniel. Daboll is also expected to be a candidate for the Bills’ head coaching job.
Daboll worked with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni in Kansas City in 2012, and he coached Jalen Hurts as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 2017.
Daboll has served as the offensive coordinator for the Browns (2009-10), Dolphins (2011), Chiefs (2012), Crimson Tide (2017) and the Bills (2018-21).
