No one connected to the New York Giants has uttered the words “head coach John Harbaugh has final say over personnel, not GM Joe Schoen.”
No one has to. It is understood. A Super Bowl-winning coach with 18 years of experience, 12 of those years ending with playoff appearances, is not taking a job where he will be overruled by a first-time GM with a 22-45-1 overall record.
Harbaugh reports directly to co-owner John Mara. He said that “made sense” and was the type of arrangement he had in Baltimore with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti.
“Everybody wants to make a little bit about who’s making what decision, but at the end the point is that we should all agree to agree,” Harbaugh said.
It is a big deal, though, that in an organization that has operated with the GM at the top of the organizational chart since the days of George Young has taken that power away from a GM who had it for the past four years.
Even Chris Mara would not go so far on Tuesday as to admit that Harbaugh will get final say if Giants’ decision-makers can’t “agree to agree.”
“Well, I know that’s a big deal around here, final say. He doesn’t have final say. It’s collaborative. He was the first to admit that,” Mara said. “If he had final say with everything in that building, he wouldn’t be able to do the job. So he’s going to be the most important cog in the wheel, let’s put it that way.
“In terms of final say, this is going to be a collaborative effort between ownership, general manager, and head coach.”
Schoen, though, clearly understands he does not have the power in the Giants’ organization he had before Harbaugh Docu-Signed his five-year, $100 million contract.
“I’m not worried about that. I’ve been in the league for 26 years. Everywhere I’ve been, the head coach and general manager have worked together. That’s the only way it’s going to work. Get on the same page. Go through the process,” Schoen said. “Something on a piece of paper doesn’t matter. We need to work together in order 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.”
The 2025 NFL season saw the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots undergo massive turnarounds after adding the right coach to a nucleus led by a quality young quarterback. Schoen wasn’t making any predictions on Tuesday about the Giants’ 2026 season.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do. I don’t want to make any predictions,” Schoen said. “Those scenarios are great. I’ve been fortunate enough, first-time head coaches, to make the playoffs a few times. It can certainly happen.
“I like the young core. I like John’s leadership and culture building ability. I’m looking forward to our young players and the existing players being exposed to that.”
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