Giants nearing a deal with John Harbaugh marks a seismic shift in New York’s relevance and signals the franchise is no longer struggling

Hiring John Harbaugh is one of the biggest moves the New York Giants have made in years and could reshape the franchise’s future.

Joe DeLeone — NFL News Writer
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The New York Giants almost have their new head coach. After the aggressive pursuit of former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, it was reported on Wednesday that a deal is expected as both sides work to finalize an agreement, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Per the report, the deal is not final but “barring any setbacks, Harbaugh is ready to accept the Giants’ deal and the Giants are expected to hire him as soon as possible.”

Giants fans are rejoicing as he was the clear favorite the moment the Ravens let him go. After many failed coaching cycles and a consistently unserious approach to the process, the Giants are seemingly making a move that brings them back to relevance.

John Harbaugh comes to New York with an amazing resume

Opting to hire another coordinator was not what the Giants needed to do this time around. They had multiple failed attempts at hiring offensive coordinators Brian Daboll, Ben McAdoo, and Pat Shurmur, as well as one special teams coordinator in Joe Judge. They couldn’t continue this approach of hoping a riser in the coaching world would work in the chaotic environment that is New York.

This franchise clearly lacked the most important quality of winning football teams: culture. Culture is a cliché used to describe teams all the time, and it’s frequently misunderstood. However, this year’s Giants team had plenty of examples of poor culture, with Abdul Carter missing team activities, multiple blown fourth-quarter leads, and a litany of bad penalties.

A coach who knows what leading a winner was what New York needed. It’s why options like Mike McCarthy and Kevin Stefanski were on the table. But once Harbaugh entered the mix, it couldn’t have been clearer who they needed to pursue.

The resume of the 63-year-old head coach is one of the rarest you’ll find in a coaching cycle. He was the Ravens’ head coach for 18 seasons from 2008 to 2025, leading one of the few consistent franchises despite a quarterback change midway through. He posted a 180-113 record, suitable for a 61.4% winning percentage.

His consistency isn’t even his most impressive feat, as he won a Super Bowl in 2012. Throughout his career, he won the AFC North six times and reached the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons.

New York is relevant again

The Giants had become a laughingstock in the NFL, garnering no respect from other fan bases. With consistent losses, it became impossible to feel optimistic that the team could be competitive. Nor did it feel realistic that the Giants could entice a top head coach candidate to lead their team.

The fact that Harbaugh was one of the most highly sought-after coaches in some time signals the Giants are heading back to relevance. His decision to buy into the Giants will make them one of the most talked-about teams in 2026.

Most importantly, there’s significant potential for Harbaugh to have a Sean Payton-like impact on the franchise. The Denver Broncos sat comfortably with the number one seed in the AFC because they bought into a consistent head coach with a Super Bowl on his resume. Now the Giants have the chance to do the same.

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