Giants May Have Already Screwed Themselves out of John Harbaugh

Now that John Harbaugh is available, the New York Giants have a clear top option for their head-coaching vacancy. But can the Giants actually land him?

You would think New York would represent an ideal landing spot for Harbaugh. The Giants have an exciting young quarterback in Jaxson Dart, a handful of intriguing weapons and some very talented young defensive players.

But if the latest report is any indication, New York may have already sabotaged its chance of securing Harbaugh to be its next head coach.

Why? Because Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland has reported that Harbaugh essentially wants total autonomy at his next stop, which includes handpicking his head of player personnel.

The problem? The Giants have already agreed to bring back general manager Joe Schoen for 2026, which would assumedly be a major sticking point for Harbaugh if the report is true.

Of course, New York can always renege on its agreement with Schoen and fire him. Remember: the Jacksonville Jaguars did that with Trent Baalke last year, and they ended up bagging head coach Liam Coen. What a move that ended up being for the franchise.

Rumor has it that part of the reason the Giants did not want to fire Schoen was because owner John Mara is currently battling cancer and did not want to take on too much responsibility in finding a new GM and head coach as a result.

But if New York hires Harbaugh? Then Mara can dismiss Schoen and simply allow Harbaugh to handle the search for a general manager.

That being said, it's easier said than done. Mara may not want to go back on his word after giving Schoen a vote of confidence, and the feeling within the Giants organization is that Schoen has actually done a fine job of assembling a roster full of young talent.

Clearly, that's up for debate. New York has gone just 7-27 the last couple of seasons and has only posted one winning campaign since Schoen took over as general manager in 2022. But if the Giants actually feel that way, it is what it is.

Perhaps Harbaugh would still be interested in taking the job regardless, but there is no question that Schoen's presence could comprise a significant hurdle for Harbaugh if he does, in fact, desire full control.