The New York Giants haven't had back-to-back winning seasons since 2011 and 2012. It's been a brutal stretch of consistent disappointment stretching for over a decade. New head coach John Harbaugh, on the other hand, had winning campaigns in 13 of his 18 years with the Baltimore Ravens.
He's been brought in to shift the culture in New York and establish a true winning mentality for the first time in a long time. Still, there's some doubt about whether he can actually make it happen, and how quickly he can turn things around.
Eric Edholm of NFL.com thinks Harbaugh can pull off the improbable, establishing his winning ways as early as this season. In a recent article listing players and teams he believes can redefine their narratives in 2026, Edholm had a bold take about the G-Men: "Giants become [a] consistent winner, starting this season."
Can John Harbaugh turn the Giants around in just one season?
For Edholm, Harbaugh's impact can be boiled down to one primary factor: unrelenting toughness. Edholm said that "if Harbaugh can instill his trademark toughness -- pretty much all his Ravens teams boasted it -- they could make a big leap. The Giants were 1-7 in one-score games a year ago and might not be as far away as they appear to some."
As the article states, the Giants already have some of the prerequisite pieces to field a winning team. They have a capable starting quarterback, offensive weapons, and talent on the defensive front. It could be the perfect recipe for an established coach like Harbaugh to turn into a winner.
Edholm even said that the Giants could have a path to the playoffs this season if things break their way. That may be the 100th percentile outcome in 2026, but the fact that it's even being named a possibility should be encouraging for fans in New York.
The Giants have a lot working against them this season. They've already dealt with injuries in the offseason, and their schedule is nothing to ignore. The set of challenges facing this team could very well lead to another year near the bottom of the standings.
But the wins and losses shouldn't necessarily be the only focus in 2026. If Harbaugh's philosophy of toughness has clearly been established by the end of the year, and a few young players take steps forward, the season will be a success. Still, fans can hope for the optimistic case laid out by Edholm.
Add us as a preferred source on Google