The sweepstakes for former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is beginning to heat up. Seemingly, every franchise with an opening is hoping to land the Super Bowl-winning head coach.

Of course, Giants fans are eager to finally hire a respected, previously successful head coach. As this process has unfolded, it appears that the Giants are in pole position to land him. Last night, Ian O’Connor of The Athletic reported that Harbaugh and Chris Mara met on Sunday at his house.

Giants executive Chris Mara told @TheAthletic that he met John Harbaugh for lunch Sunday and had an informal meeting at the coach's house. People on both sides say Harbaugh remains very interested in the Giants job.

— Ian O'Connor (@Ian_OConnor) January 13, 2026

This morning, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan dropped an intel piece on the hunt for Harbaugh, which included a number of the key things he’s looking for. And it appears the Giants check every box.

Harbaugh is seeking a stable QB situation

In Raanan’s piece, he revealed that the first qualifier Harbaugh is paying attention to is a franchise having a settled quarterback situation. Understandably, it’s a waste of a season to draft and have to develop a quarterback from the jump.

“The veteran head coach is said to be looking for a team that has a strong quarterback situation, according to a source close to Harbaugh,” wrote Raanan, “The Giants have Jaxson Dart, a talented rookie who works best off-platform in much the same way that Lamar Jackson does in Baltimore.”

Of the teams interested, the Giants undoubtedly have the best quarterback situation. The Atlanta Falcons have Michael Penix entering year three, but he has a brutal injury history. The Miami Dolphins don’t appear to be satisfied with Tua Tagovailoa. Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward may have a higher ceiling than Dart, but his supporting cast is much weaker.

Dart’s rookie season flashes could be what it takes to entice Harbaugh. While his rookie season wasn’t perfect, he effectively painted a picture of what the future could look like with a healthy supporting cast.

Draft capital and cap flexibility

Raanan then referenced Harbaugh wanting to lead a team with strong draft capital and salary-cap flexibility to build the roster over the next few years.

“Draft capital is also important. This would allow Harbaugh the opportunity to add good, young players in much the same way they did in Baltimore during much of his tenure.”

The Giants have the edge over the Falcons in this regard because they don’t have a first-round pick. And compared to the other teams, they have a high enough pick in 2026 that it isn’t a significant difference.

Per OverTheCap, the Giants are projected to have around $5 million in cap space this offseason and $112 million in 2027. Some maneuvering of veteran contracts should allow the Giants to free up space to pursue veteran free agents.

While there appears to be roster flexibility, the biggest key now is whether Harbaugh and GM Joe Schoen vibe.

Will GM Joe Schoen be an issue?

The last layer referenced here is where Schoen fits into the picture. Based on what Raanan reported, he isn’t an issue.

“Ownership, management structure and general manager will also be factors. Giants ownership generally has a good reputation. There isn’t believed to be any real red flags with the organization and the presence of general manager Joe Schoen, to this point, hasn’t been mentioned as a problem said the source close to Harbaugh.”

Thankfully, it appears that Harbaugh is content with Schoen being a part of the picture. However, this shouldn’t hold back ownership from removing Schoen if he’s asked to. We’ll find out soon if this push by the Giants will work.

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