Hiring the right coordinators is crucial in the NFL, especially for a "CEO" type of head coach. As important as establishing culture within the team is, having a schematic advantage can turn competent teams into contenders. The decisions that John Harbaugh and the New York Giants make in the coming weeks will help shape the next era of the franchise.
Luckily, an NFC rival took a potential mistake off the Giants' board. New York had shown interest in former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon for its open defensive coordinator position.
The Green Bay Packers hired him instead, saving the Giants from what could have been a disaster.
Packers save Giants from huge mistake by hiring Jonathan Gannon
The Packers announced on Sunday morning that they are hiring Gannon as their defensive coordinator. Per ESPN insider Rob Demovsky, the Giants were closer than it seemed to making the hire themselves. In a recent article discussing the move, Demovsky said, "Gannon was drawing interest from both Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh for their respective defensive coordinator openings with the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants, and if the Packers had waited any longer, they might have lost out on Gannon."
Demovsky's wording hints that the Giants could have been just days away from hiring Gannon. While the new Packers defensive coordinator's familiarity with the NFC East made him look like a natural choice for New York's opening, the fit may not have been as good as it seemed.
While the Cardinals' defense performed above expectations throughout most of Gannon's time in charge, he wasn't the one calling plays. He hasn't been a playcaller since he left the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2023. With Philly, his vanilla scheme was covered up by a group of dominant players capable of shutting down opposing offenses.
The G-Men may have elite talent on their defensive front, but they can't afford to coast by with a conservative playcaller. With weaknesses across the secondary, they need a defensive coordinator who can force opposing quarterbacks to second-guess their pre-snap reads. That isn't Gannon.
Because the Packers took that option off the table, Big Blue was able to hone in on the perfect candidate and get him signed, sealed, and delivered. On Sunday, it was announced that former Tennessee Titans DC Dennard Wilson would take over, officially ushering in a new era of Giants football.