There are optimists, there are foolish optimists, and then there is ESPN’s Peter Schrager.
How else can one explain Schrager suggesting that the New York Giants, who have only had two winning seasons since the start of 2013, could win double-digit games this year?
During an appearance on the “Schein Time” podcast, Schrager said he believes that the Giants could win 11 or 12 games. Never mind that the Giants went a combined 13–38 the last three years.
“I’m not trying to go overboard because we’re in our market," Schrager said, “but it has been some dark years for the New York football teams, and I don’t think double-digit wins is crazy for the New York Giants.”
Credit to Schrager, who defended his reasoning with one key point: the Giants hired longtime Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who subsequently brought several players and coaches with him from Baltimore.
“And in that offensive room, you’ve got [offensive coordinator] Matt Nagy, [senior offensive assistant] Greg Roman, [passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach] Brian Callahan,” Schrager said. “Three really talented play-callers, and two of them former head coaches.”
Nagy led the Chicago Bears to two playoff appearances in five seasons from 2018–21. He spent the last four years as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, winning two Super Bowl rings in that span.
Callahan served as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator from 2019–23, enjoying the Joe Burrow–Ja’Marr Chase connection for much of that time. However, he lost 19 of 23 games as the Titans’ head coach and was fired last October.
Peter Schrager is unrealistically optimistic about the 2026 New York Giants
To be clear, we’re not trying to pick on Schrager.
This doesn’t feel like an instance of a pundit simply rattling off hot takes for the sake of conversation and aggregation.
Theoretically speaking, Jaxson Dart should benefit from working directly with Nagy, Roman, and Callahan. All three have coached offenses that reached the Super Bowl.
And, as Schrager noted, it does appear that Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen are aligned.
With that said, this is still a Giants organization coming off a 4–13 finish. Concerns are already mounting about Dart’s long-term future after he was evaluated for concussions at least five times as a rookie.
The Giants will also be without All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence following an April trade to the Bengals.
Even asking the Giants to finish with seven wins might be a tall ask, considering they’re sharing a division with the Cowboys, Eagles, and Commanders.
The idea, then, that the Giants could finish with 11 or 12 wins is far too confusing. The odds don’t favor it, even if Dart takes that next step and stays healthy.
What constitutes a successful season for the Giants depends on your own perspective. Most would agree, though, that a winning record could net Harbaugh legitimate consideration for Coach of the Year.
Schrager deserves kudos for at least providing legitimate reasoning for why he believes the Giants will break through to start the Harbaugh era.
Call us cynical, but his rationale isn’t enough to sway us just yet.
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