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Giants news, 1/16: John Harbaugh reaction, coordinator candidates

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

From Big Blue View

Other Giant observations

Landing John Harbaugh is a win the Giants’ whole organization badly needed | The Athletic

Despite all of their recent losing and dysfunction, the Giants have maintained their status as a storied franchise, especially in the eyes of an old-school football lifer like Harbaugh. Losing him to the likes of the Tennessee Titans or Atlanta Falcons would have been a devastating blow at a fragile time for the franchise.

Landing Harbaugh was the best possible outcome when the Giants set out on the unpredictable path of a coaching search. It’s the biggest win for the franchise in a long time. And now, with Harbaugh on board, the belief is many more wins will follow.

SI’s Albert Breer on what won over John Harbaugh

The Giants know exactly what they’re getting. And he knows the kind of chance here to put the Giants back on top, become the first coach ever to win a Super Bowl with two different teams, unless Sean Payton beats him to it with the Broncos. Because of everything that has happened to them lately; because of the way they have fallen down; and after the general managers and coaches who have come and gone since the last Super Bowl over the Patriots, this is as important a hire as the Giants have ever made, all the way back to old Tim Mara.

More than anything else, closing out the bidding on Harbaugh before he even met with the Titans or with the Falcons, sends out this loud message, and not just to the fan base, but to the rest of the league: He is taking his talents to North Jersey because he’s decided the Giants are worthy of those talents, not just for coaching but for culture building as well. And you better believe that even if Joe Schoen is staying on as general manager, going forward the football business at MetLife Stadium will run through the office of the new coach.

John Harbaugh instantly changes Giants perception, creates blueprint toward relevance | SNY.tv

With the coaching search complete, owners John Mara and Tisch (who was among the biggest advocates for the Giants hiring Harbaugh) can finally exhale — and perhaps even enjoy this weekend’s playoff games. Two in particular. On Sunday, New England faces Houston. Later, Chicago meets the Rams. A year ago, those teams won four and five games, respectively. Both believed they were close. Both found the right coach — the Patriots with Mike Vrabel, the Bears with Ben Johnson — and made immediate strides. Now, they’re on to the second round of the playoffs.

The Giants believe they can do the same. Their roster remains imperfect. Dart needs more weapons. The offensive line requires real solutions, not short-term patches. The defense, despite recognizable names, fell well short of expectations a season ago. Still, with Harbaugh in charge, the task ahead no longer feels overwhelming.

At minimum, the Giants finally have a path forward. And for the first time in a long time, there is a legitimate reason to believe in a blueprint toward relevance.

The Big Picture: How John Harbaugh Brought Credibility and Hope to Giants Overnight | FOX Sports

To be honest, it’s hard to think of a more significant moment in Giants history than the moment when John Harbaugh, a Super Bowl-winning coach, clearly the prize of this year’s carousel, made the decision to accept the generous offer that the Giants were so desperate to give him. As the new head coach of the New York Giants — the news is expected to become official sometime on Thursday — he brings instant credibility. He carries a feeling of hope.

And sure, they might have been in good hands with Kevin Stefanski too, or Mike McCarthy or some hotshot coordinator who is staring at a long and storied career. But none of them — none — would have come close to creating the buzz and excitement that Harbaugh did. Not a single other coach would have brought this kind of seismic change.

Boomer on the ceiling for the Dart/Harbaugh combo

John Harbaugh made this move to find out if the Giants were the right fit | NJ.com

One person who gave some insight was former quarterback Eli Manning. It’s been reported that Manning reached out to Harbaugh, but according to reporter Gary Myers, it was actually the opposite.

“Harbaugh initiated things by reaching out to Peyton to get Eli’s phone number and texted asking to talk,” Myers wrote on X. “Eli then called him. Sources say Manning told Giants owner John Mara two months ago that the team needed a HC with experience who had seen all there is to see in the NFL and could take control of the building. Two months ago, the ideal person didn’t exist. Then Harbaugh fell into their lap.”

As the most critical meal in New York Giants history wound down Wednesday night, Tim Salouros, the owner of Elia restaurant in East Rutherford, N.J., walked into his private dining room in the old wine cellar and looked out at a contingent that included general manager Joe Schoen, senior executive Chris Mara and highly sought after NFL coach John Harbaugh.

“After they were done eating, I told them, I know there’s a lot of tension in the room but, as a fan, please sign,” Salouros told Sports Illustrated Thursday morning. “And if you’re not going to—I have a back door and I’ll show you out that way.” Everyone laughed. The room looked perfect—the owner described the ambiance as “festive” and “celebratory”—and Salouros, despite hearing that Harbaugh had other head coaching interviews after this one, knew the Giants had landed their dream head coach when Harbaugh smiled on his way out and said: “I know I’ll be seeing you again soon.”

Realistic turnaround timeline After the 2025 NFL postseason set a record with five teams that had 11-plus losses the year prior — the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers — there will be Giants fans who think a playoff berth in 2026 is achievable. The NFC East will be a tough hill to climb, with the Eagles still full of talent and the Cowboys likely a playoff team if they can avoid being the NFL’s worst scoring defense, as they were in 2025.

It will be interesting to see whether Harbaugh’s proclivity for late-game collapses follows him to New York, because the difference in one-score games can make or break a team’s record. In 2025, the Giants were 1-6 in one-score games while Harbaugh’s Ravens were just about as bad at 1-4. Baltimore blew 26 leads of 10 or more points under Harbaugh from 2008 to 2025, the most in the NFL. Twelve of those came in the last five seasons, which is five more than any other team in the league in that span. Harbaugh will bring coaching competence and stability, but time will tell whether that will be enough to elevate the Giants back to regular playoff participants.

How John Harbaugh has fared against Giants’ NFC East rivals | New York Post

The Super Bowl-winning head coach spent 18 years with the Ravens, and before his firing last week, he racked up plenty of success against the Giants’ rivals in the NFC East. Harbaugh went 10-5 against the Cowboys (4-1), Eagles (3-2) and Commanders (3-2) while serving as the bench boss in Baltimore. He’s 13-11 in the postseason, winning the Super Bowl in 2013 over his brother Jim Harbaugh, who was coaching the 49ers then.

Jameis Winston on Cam Skattebo

The New York Giants are bringing in former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh to run the show next season, but will they bring in some of his players to help ease the transition?

Here are five players who played for the Ravens that might interest the Giants in free agency this offseason: Center Tyler Linderbaum, Tight end Isaiah Likely, Offensive tackle Joseph Noteboom, Outside linebacker David Ojabo, and Fullback Patrick Ricard.

2026 NFL Draft: Team needs for all 32 NFL teams | PFF

New York Giants Positions of need: WR, G, T, CB. Outside of Andrew Thomas, who earned a 90.3 PFF grade, the Giants experienced inconsistency across the offensive line. While multiple positions could be upgraded, right tackle stands out as a priority with Jermaine Eluemunor set to enter free agency. Although Eluemunor struggled as a run blocker, his PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets (72.3) leaves the door open for a potential extension. Should he depart, New York will need to find a reliable tackle to protect quarterback Jaxson Dart.

2026 NFL Mock Draft: How does Dante Moore’s decision affect Round 1? | The Athletic

5. New York Giants: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State. The Giants will be drawn, understandably, to Caleb Downs’ potential impact on the back end of the defense, or to the chance to address their offensive line with Francis Mauigoa. But Tyson would add an immediate offensive playmaker who could help a young quarterback take the next step in his development. Obviously, expected new head coach John Harbaugh will influence this selection.