Going into the 2025 NFL season, pretty much everyone in the NFL world could see that the New England Patriots were going to be the league's top breakout team. Entering the 2026 offseason, the New York Giants might very well be on the same trajectory.
Everything is just on paper when it comes to the NFL offseason, but this is where you build around the pieces you just got a close look at during the season. The Giants retained general manager Joe Schoen, but after moving on from Brian Daboll during the year, they've already had their sights set on the future for quite some time.
With Jaxson Dart looking like a potential franchise quarterback, along with a number of other offensive skill players showing star qualities, the Giants might be cooking with a little something. If they can lure John Harbaugh to be their next head coach, it might be game on.
Giants could be the 2026 version of the Patriots if they find a way to hire John Harbaugh
Our friends over at FanSided.com recently put together a list of the teams who missed the playoffs in 2025 with the best shot at contending in 2026. While the Giants going from being one of the five worst teams in the league to being a true title contender feels far-fetched, there are reasons to believe it's possible.
"The New York Giants are building a really, really good roster. Let’s look at the premium positions. At quarterback, Jaxson Dart looks like the real deal. He needs to keep his head protected, but we think the Giants will hire a head coach who will prioritize that. Malik Nabers is one of the top young receivers in football. The defensive line boasts Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and young star Abdul Carter. Even Deonte Banks had a chance to showcase himself as an answer at cornerback, although he needs to make major progress in the right direction.
The really exciting thing about the Giants is how high their profile is right now. They are considered by many as the second-best coaching destinations of all the openings. Could they get John Harbaugh? Is this Kevin Stefanski’s top destination? Will they target one of the top college coaches? The future is bright for Big Blue."
- FanSided.com
The folks at FanSided had the Giants ranked as the 7th-best team to miss the playoffs this past year, which feels pretty fair considering how things went last season. And they're certainly not alone in buying the idea that the Giants have one of the best young rosters in the league.
If they are able to lure someone like John Harbaugh to be their head coach, it will be a telltale sign of the team's readiness as a roster overall. Harbaugh isn't going to accept a new position where he doesn't buy that the roster can contend quickly. If the Giants win the Harbaugh sweepstakes, it will send as clear of a message as you can send to the rest of the NFL:
This roster is a sleeping giant.
There are teams that show every year that it's possible to go from worst to first in the NFL. It's possible to turn things around quickly and dramatically. The Patriots are a great example of that, but so are teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Chicago Bears, and even the Denver Broncos.
This is a massive offseason for the Giants because of that roster. They need to get the head coach hire right, and just like the Patriots were able to bring in a veteran coach like Mike Vrabel who just knew how to push all the right buttons, the opportunity is right there before the Giants as well.