The burning question on the mind of every New York Giants fan these last few days was whether or not John Harbaugh was going to be coaching this team in 2026. After days of the never-ending sweepstakes, we finally have our answer, after the Giants pulled out all the stops for his first in-person interview.
It may have felt like an eternity since he was at the Giants' facility yesterday, but a contract wasn't signed then. However, it didn't take much longer to get a deal done, as the G-Men still managed to put pen to paper to make Harbaugh their next head coach.
The 63-year-old is clearly the best head coach available this coaching cycle, which is why he treated this decision like he's prime LeBron James. He had his pick of the litter, but in a tight race, Joe Schoen and John Mara still managed to pull off what everyone in sports media was expecting to happen.
The #Giants are going to strike a deal with John Harbaugh that will pay him among the highest paid coaches in NFL history. Harbaugh will also get a significant budget for his staff.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 15, 2026
Giants were all in on making this happen. It’s now happening. https://t.co/STHSPF6Hl7
The Giants knew who they wanted to hire, and they got their man
The Giants had to fend off the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, and did so after stopping at nothing to give the Super Bowl-head coach what he wanted. The Falcons boast a talented roster, and the Titans have Cam Ward and a lot of cap space, but none of that mattered in the end.
Ownership put on the full-court press to bring in a proven winner to reset the culture in New York, and it’s all worth it now. Even though Harbaugh was forcing teams to jump through every hoop imaginable for him, he stunned the entire football world incredibly late at night.
The Falcons' roster might be more built to compete right now (especially in a weak division), but the young core in New York isn't much worse. They have a clear franchise QB in Dart, some improving young weapons, and some fun pieces on defense, but the only thing they are missing is the right coach (and staff) to put the puzzle together.
The interest was always mutual, especially given reports that Harbaugh seems to be a fan of the Ole Miss product—and his sitting in on the meetings certainly helped. He was their target as soon as they fired Brian Daboll, so this was always written in the stars.
There were a lot of conflicting reports over the last few days, so even though Harbaugh asked for a bit more control or money than expected, John Mara appears ready and willing to provide it if a deal is near.
And in the end, that’s what helped Big Blue get a deal done with the most Tom Coughlin-like coach available this offseason and has the arrow finally pointing up for 2026.