Giants stun NFL circles with major decision nobody expected after hiring John Harbaugh, and it alters the future of the franchise
New York gave general manager John Harbaugh a long-term extension, showing alignment between the front office and the new coaching staff.
It’s relatively unusual for NFL franchises to achieve real alignment when general managers and head coaches are not on the same timeline. That was the big question mark when the New York Giants decided to keep GM Joe Schoen after firing Brian Daboll.
Four months after hiring head coach John Harbaugh, though, the Giants eliminated those questions. On Thursday, the team gave Schoen a new, long-term contract.
Extension means there’s alignment
The Giants made it clear the idea was to make Schoen and Harbaugh work together. But any type of power struggle would inevitably end with the general manager out. After four months together, a period that included free agency and the draft, the contract extension shows that GM and HC got along pretty well.
Putting Schoen and Harbaugh on the same contract timeline is huge for the franchise, and it gives them a type of stability that has transformative potential.
Joe Schoen adapts to keep his job
Joe Schoen entered the NFL in 2001 as a scouting assistant for the Carolina Panthers, then was quickly promoted to an area scout. He moved to the Miami Dolphins in 2008, spending time as national scout, assistant director of college scouting, and director of player personnel. Schoen was an assistant general manager on the Buffalo Bills for five years, a period in which he got to work with Daboll.
He’s been the Giants general manager since 2022. With Harbaugh, though, he had to adapt and adjust his style. Now, the head coach is the ultimate decision-maker over the roster. But the GM still leads the scouting process
“I’m not worried about that,” Schoen said earlier this offseason about the final say over the roster. “I’ve been in the league for 26 years, so everywhere I’ve been, the head coach and general manager work together. That’s the only way it’s going to work.
“Get on the same page, go through the process, we’ve done it everywhere I’ve been. I’m not worried about it. That’s just something on a piece of paper. Doesn’t matter. We need to work together and we’re going to come to the final conclusion. It’s always going to be about what’s best for the New York Giants. I have no problem with that and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
The initial evidence is that the process is working. Now, let’s see if the Giants’ leaders can keep the positive trend when the bullets start flying in the regular season.