In case anyone was doubting John Harbaugh, the New York Giants announced his first coaching staff as the franchise’s head coach on Friday, and let’s just say he assembled a talented group.
One of the names on Harbaugh’s coaching staff is former Chicago Bears head coach and, most recently, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who will serve as Big Blue’s OC in 2026. Nagy being named the Giants’ offensive coordinator may have caught some fans by surprise, as he is known for his tenure with the Bears, which did not end well.
Luckily, he won’t be in the head coaching chair for the G-Men; instead, he’ll serve as the offensive coordinator, a role he knows well from his time with the Chiefs. If you were still worried about Nagy taking this job, one of his former wide receivers, who worked with him in Kansas City, had plenty of positive things to say about him.
Tyquan Thornton had the perfect endorsement for Giants' OC Matt Nagy
Who better to endorse and calm Big Blue Nation down about the Giants’ new offensive coordinator than one of his former players, Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton?
Thornton spoke to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News about his former OC. Nagy apparently keeps it “AAF," the 25-year-old told Leonard. You might be thinking, " What does 'AAF' mean? The motto stands for Aggressive as... Well, I think you can figure out the rest.
Thornton certainly took that motto to heart in his first season with the Chiefs last year, totaling 19 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. The veteran wideout had five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City's Week 3 primetime victory over the G-Men.
Thornton is set to be a free agent this offseason and is expected to earn just over $2.5 million AAV on his next contract. The Giants are in the market for a wide receiver, so a reunion between Thornton and Nagy could make sense for both parties.
Big Blue is expected to address the wide receiver position in either free agency or the NFL Draft. Still, they have about $6.9 million in cap space at the moment, meaning they will have to restructure higher-value contracts or cut some players to free up more space.
Regardless, Thornton's endorsement could be all the convincing Giants fans need to think this thing finally gets turned around.
Luckily, New York will have a few options at wide receiver: retain Wan’Dale Robinson, draft a player like Carnell Tate, or even sign a player in free agency like Hollywood Brown or Thornton, who already have ties to the Giants’ new regime. We’ll see what Harbaugh and Co. do this offseason, but they must provide franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart with plenty of weapons ahead of 2026.