It seems like every article you read, every sports segment you watch on TV, and any podcast you listen to has nothing but good things to say about New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh and his potential impact in North Jersey.
The NFL Scouting Combine was the latest stop on the Harbaugh praise tour, with coaches handing out compliments like they were free samples at the food court. The list ranged from Todd Monken, Harby’s former OC in Baltimore and now the Browns’ head coach, to Super Bowl-winning Mike Macdonald, his former DC now in Seattle, to Super Bowl runner-up Mike Vrabel in New England, along with plenty of front office execs and other coaches chiming in.
And while all of the compliments are sure to get Giants fans even more fired up about their new head coach, it was Vrabel’s comments in particular that really turned heads. The 50-year-old couldn’t keep it bottled up any longer:
"I would say just his record speaks for itself. I have a lot of respect for what he’s done. I don’t have his secret sauce. I wish I did and to be able to do it at one place for 18 years."
Don’t expect him to hand over the recipe anytime soon.
John Harbaugh’s secret sauce is officially cooking in New York
With all this secret sauce talk, you almost wonder if the locker room will start responding to Harby with “Yes, chef" moving forward.
In all seriousness, the 63-year-old is one of the best head coaches to ever do it, and surviving 18 years in this league is no easy feat. Over the course of his career, he’s won 180 games, which ranks 14th all-time, along with six division titles and a Super Bowl ring.
Vrabel still has ground to cover before he’s in Harbaugh’s neighborhood, but he’s building something of his own. Across six seasons with the Titans and one in New England, he’s 68-48, which comes out to about 9.7 wins per year. That’s right there with Harbaugh’s 10.0. He also just took a Patriots team that went 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 in 2025 and all the way to the Super Bowl, which is exactly what Giants fans are hoping happens in North Jersey with chef Harbaugh in 2026.
It’s amazing what a team can put together when the ingredients are right and the recipe works.