Let’s step into the trust tree for a second: watching the New York Giants make coaching decisions over the last decade has felt like watching a never-ending cycle of junior varsity coaches try to run an NFL franchise.
Every hire post-Tom Coughlin has lacked the experience needed to run a team like this.
Ben McAdoo, Joe Judge, and Brian Daboll were all first-time head coaches trying to figure it out on the fly. Even Pat Shurmur only had two years of prior experience. The result was the real-life version of the Spider-Man meme -- an endless carousel of coaches in over their heads, pointing at one another, with two winning seasons in the last 10 years
But things are finally changing in 2026. NFL.com's Matt Okada highlighted the number 19 as the defining stat for the Giants this season. It marks John Harbaugh's 19th consecutive year as an NFL head coach.
For the first time in forever, the G-Men aren't gambling on an unproven coordinator's potential. They went out and got a real coach who already has 180 career wins and a Super Bowl ring on his résumé. To celebrate the fact that an adult is now running the show, here are 19 things (in no order) Giants fans can look forward to as the upcoming season gets closer.
19 things Giants fans can look forward to in 2026
1. An end to the "kid's table" energy: No more benching players for missing/sleeping through meetings or Miami boat trips. We finally have a head coach who won't treat the locker room like a high school gym class and will hold players accountable.
2. Malik Nabers conquering the rehab grind: Harby recently confirmed Big Blue's WR1 is roughly 70–80% through a grueling ACL recovery. Even with a spring "clean-up" procedure to remove scar tissue, general manager Joe Schoen remains highly optimistic that Nabers will be ready to log reps by Week 1.
3. The glorious return of fullback dive: New York signing 300-pound Patrick "Pancake Pat" Ricard means the G-Men are officially done playing soft football. Get ready to have pancakes served up with a healthy serving of syrup every Sunday.
4. Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa anchoring the line: Taking the powerhouse Miami Hurricanes tackle at No. 10 overall was a 6-foot-6, 330-pound statement pick. He's already crushing OTAs and learning alongside Jermaine Eluemunor to dominate the right side.
5. Isaiah Likely moving the chains: Plucked from Baltimore, the 26-year-old is going to be Jaxson Dart's immediate safety blanket over the middle of the field. The 6-foot-4 weapon has a good chance of re-writing the Giants' single-season tight end receiving record books.
6. The Prodigal Son has returned: He's 33 now and knows his role, but having Odell Beckham Jr. back in blue just feels right and brings some much-needed swagger and fresh energy back to North Jersey.
7. Arvell Reese demon-ing around the defense: The rookie linebacker out of Ohio State brings elite size and sideline-to-sideline speed. He's going to be an immediate impact player regardless of where he plays -- whether that's inside or on the edge.
8. Greg Roman's goal-line masterclass: Roman might not be the most popular offensive coordinator due to the sluggish nature of his ground attacks with the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers, but maybe luck will change now as a senior assistant for the G-Men.
While he's known for over-relying on the ground game, expect the red-zone packages to be a physical nightmare for opposing defenses.
9. Special teams that won't make fans cry: Another coach? Why not? Harbs brought over special teams coordinator Chris Horton from Baltimore to fix the third phase. The Giants might actually go a full season without the fans having special teams anxiety every time the punter or kicker takes the field. Would be nice.
10. A fully healthy season for Cam Skattebo: After his electric rookie run was cut short by devastating dislocated ankle injury, a healthy Skatt brings his unhinged, highly competitive running style back to the backfield for a full 17 games (barring another injury, of course).
11. The redemption experiments: New York brought back or doubled down on several perceived Giants failures this offseason. Evan Neal, Josh Ezeudu, and even Jason Pinnock (welcome back after a one-year stint with the 49ers) are surprisingly back. Meanwhile, former early draft picks like Deonte Banks and Jalin Hyatt are getting a clean slate under the new regime to prove that they still have something... anything left in the tank.
12. The wide receiver training camp battle: With Nabers, Darius Slayton, Malachi Fields, Calvin Austin III, and Darnell Mooney looking like roster locks for the 53-man, the battle for the final receiver spot is going to be diabolical. There are at least nine names competing for the last spot.
13. 32 personnel manhandling everything in sight: The league fully leaned into 13 personnel (1 running back and three tight ends) in 2025. But that's so last year. In 2026, it's all about 32 personnel (three running backs and two tight ends). Yeah, you heard me right. It's all about mass.
At some point this season, Big Blue will have Dart under center with Pancake Pat, Skatt, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the backfield, with Likely and Theo Johnson operating as super-sized receiving targets or bouncers of the backfield, helping pave the way for the ground team to run opposing defenders through the earth.
14. Jordan Stout sending punts into orbit: Punting is a sensitive subject around these parts, but after bringing in All-Pro punter Jordan Stout in free agency on a market-setting deal, that's going to change. The 27-year-old looked great at minicamp, giving the fans a taste of what flipping field position actually looks like.
15. Sophomore slump? More like sophomore jump: Dart Round 2 is set up for a major leap. The 23-year-old gave a taste last season after taking over the starting job in Week 4, but now he actually has an elite coaching staff, an improved arsenal, and an upgraded offensive line designed to keep him clean and let him let it rip.
16. Soul-crushing 9-minute drives: The G-Men have the roster pieces -- and deranged mindset -- to become the ultimate joy-killers of the NFL in the best way possible, intentionally melting the clock and leaving opponents exhausted and out of time to do a damn thing about it.
17. Dominic Zvada becoming "Zvada-matic": Entering a kicking competition as a UDFA is usually a long shot, but the former Michigan standout has enough leg talent to change the status quo. If he keeps drilling 60-plus-yarders throughout the summer, incumbent place kicker Ben Sauls will find himself on the outside looking in.
Instead of calling on Sauls' number come Week 1, it'll be Better call Sauls... an Uber to take him home because his services might not be needed.
18. Malachi Fields "mossing" corners like it's 2007: At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, the former Notre Dame stud is built like a red-zone cheat code. He routinely channeled his inner Randy Moss at OTAs and minicamp by climbing the ladder and snatching jump balls right over defensive backs. His high-flying style will make the red zone absolute appointment television on Sundays.
19. Putting the "life" back in MetLife Stadium: The era of half-filled stadiums booing the home team off the field is officially over. Bringing in a proven winner like Harbaugh means the return of loud-as-hell, meaningful football. This fan base has been starving for a watchable product, and the bleachers will finally be rocking for all the right reasons.
** Side thought -- Jameis Winston also wears No. 19 and he has been nothing but electric since joining the team, so I'm not saying it's destiny, but I'm not not saying it. **
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