It's been a while since the New York Giants were good. Will Big Blue turn the corner this season?
The New York Giants are among five NFL teams predicted to improve in the 2026 season by ESPN's Bill Barnwell.
New York went 4-13 last season. Former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is the new man in charge of the Giants, who haven't made the playoffs since the 2022 season. That was the first year of the Brian Daboll era.
"I believe they have a legitimate shot at surprising the league and becoming a last-place team that jumps into the playoffs in 2026, but so much will depend on whether the offensive standouts stay healthy for much (or all) of the year," Barnwell wrote.
In Year 1 of the Harbaugh era, the Giants play the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions. That's a tough slate.
However, we just watched the New York Knicks win the NBA championship this year. Anything is possible in sports, so let's see if the Giants can shock the world this season and make the NFL playoffs.
Second-year QB Jaxson Dart finished his rookie season with 2,272 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 487 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He appears to have a bright future under Harbaugh, who helped Lamar Jackson win two MVPs in Baltimore. The Giants also hired Matt Nagy as their new OC.
"One of the many great things about Jaxson Dart is he does so many things so well," Harbaugh said about Dart. "There is a lot of different elements that Jaxson can play in. I'm not sure what he really can't do."
"I was able to watch a decent amount of Jaxson last year, when I was in Kansas City," Nagy said about Dart. "We tried to take as little time as possible watching the quarterback position, but every year I will watch just to see the top guys that are there, and I remember coming away impressed with Jaxson and his accuracy."
Dart was evaluated for a concussion four times in his first nine starts (and once in the preseason) last season. That's way too many. He needs to be more careful when he's running with the ball.
The Giants open the 2026 season against the rival Cowboys. It will be intriguing to see if Big Blue can win Harbaugh's first game.
