It may have taken longer than expected to finalize, but it was more than worth the wait. John Harbaugh is officially the 21st head coach of the New York Giants, and his hire has injected more energy into one of the NFL's most lifeless franchises since Tom Coughlin was still coaching the team.
The arrow is finally pointing up for Big Blue after a tumultuous end to the Brian Daboll era, but the Harbaugh hire is a sign of something new. Toughness. Culture. A return to the Giants way. And this promising young roster is talented, but the 63-year-old knows he'll have his work cut out for him.
John Harbaugh to me: "I think the Giants roster is strong and it's our job to make it stronger. We are going to compete for the playoffs and for championships. I expect and want to make the playoffs next year."
— Ian O'Connor (@Ian_OConnor) January 17, 2026
As I said, no rebuilding plan folks.
There are enough pieces on this roster to get fans excited, but this team isn't built to contend just yet. The veteran head coach was quick to admit he is ready to make this Giants' roster even more promising, but also affirmed that he expects this team to compete for a playoff spot from the start.
The Giants are not settling for mediocre anymore under John Harbaugh
For a New York team circling the playoffs on its calendar, they have nobody better leading the. The Super Bowl-winning head coach took the Ravens to the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons in Baltimore, including playoff appearances in six of his last eight seasons with Lamar Jackson starting.
Not everyone is convinced that he'll bring Giants football back, but luckily, the bar is in hell after Daboll and Joe Judge. This team has made the playoffs twice in the last decade, so it's not like he has to do much to win over the fanbase. Honestly, the bar is simply to be better than his predecessors.
Even in a division as difficult as the NFC East, Harbaugh isn't shy of confidence. With a solid offensive line, strong defense, and good weapons for Jaxson Dart, this team can surprise people. Coaching was the only thing holding this team back, and that doesn't seem like it'll be an issue anymore.
The main reason for Harbaugh's confidence in this roster is Dart, who, according to reports, sold him on the Giants' job. Next season, he'll have the weapons to thrive again, will be equipped with better play-calling, and should take another step forward in Year 2 just like Drake Maye did this year.
John Harbaugh on Jaxson Dart and the roster: "I'm very excited about these players. I spoke with Jaxson 2 or 3 times at length & I couldn't be more impressed with him. Watched him on tape, he had a heckuva rookie season and he's got the right mindset. That is one tough dude."
— Ian O'Connor (@Ian_OConnor) January 17, 2026
The last time Giants fans thought they had a franchise QB, things went south after a few years with Daniel Jones. But instead of trying to overcomplicate the coaching search, they pulled out all the stops to impress the best coach available, who is this cycle's Mike Vrabel.
The G-Men aren't a team who should be stringing together losing seasons for the next decade and in constant rebuild mode, so it's nice that Harbaugh knows what his new team is capable of.