The New York Giants look more like a legitimate franchise with each passing day since John Harbaugh took over as head coach. It’s still early, but the vision is clear: get the Giants back to playing competitive football.
That’s a lot easier said than done, but the 63-year-old has started off strongly, even if it’s really only been through staff decisions so far.
Getting the right coaches in makes a huge difference, but the simplest way to become an “overnight success” and turn things around in Year 1 is to have a star quarterback. Fortunately, the G-Men seem to believe they already have that in Jaxson Dart. The 22-year-old showed how far ahead he was during his rookie season, but it’s clear he still needs someone to take his game to the next level. And that starts with the looming offensive coordinator hire.
Todd Monken was widely considered to be that guy, but he opted to become the Cleveland Browns’ head coach instead. Harbs has cast a wide net since, but aside from Davis Webb, the candidates have largely underwhelmed with names like Jim Bob Cooter, Brain Callahan, and Robert Prince.
At least they had until Jordan Schultz reported that former Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury threw his name into the mix with an interview on Saturday:
Sources: The #Giants interviewed former #Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury virtually on Saturday for their open OC position.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 1, 2026
Kingsbury is one of several candidates the Giants have been intrigued by to pair with QB Jaxson Dart, under new HC John Harbaugh. pic.twitter.com/Oho13cWBAr
Kliff Kingsbury could be Giants’ best OC option for Jaxson Dart
The 46-year-old is one of the more exciting names fans can get behind. He's not an up-and-comer looking to prove himself. He's more experienced play-caller vibes, whose scheme is tailor-made for a player like Dart.
Kingsbury famously coached Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, installing the "Air Raid" offense that turned Mahomes into a first-round pick. After developing the closest thing the league has seen since Tom Brady, all the QB guru has done is build QB-friendly systems, and the results speak for themselves.
As the Cardinals’ HC, he helped Kyler Murray win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Five years later, he did it again with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Big Blue’s QB shares traits with both, making the appeal obvious.
He’s not a perfect coordinator. Protection issues and weekly inconsistencies played a role in the downfall of both of his last stops. The up-tempo, spread-the-field approach that emphasizes a quarterback’s athletic traits still fits what the Giants should want for Dart.
Harbaugh is not a quarterback builder. That's why it's so important they bring in a guy who is. If Harbs decides to go Kliff jumping, the offense would be in great hands. As a bonus, he's spent the past two seasons working with Daniels and the Commanders, giving the Giants a sneaky leg up on their hated division rival they play twice a year.
Kingsbury would give the G-Men a clear offensive voice for Dart and the de facto leader of the offense. The interview doesn’t guarantee anything, but it finally feels like the Giants are treating their 22-year-old quarterback like the priority... which is how it should be.