The New York Giants have received their most important lifeline in years, and his name is John Harbaugh.
Big Blue is finalizing a deal to hire the veteran head coach, according to multiple reports coming out in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
The 63-year-old spent 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, winning a Super Bowl in 2012, nabbing NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2019, and ranking 12th in league history with 193 wins.
That resume made him an instantaneous hot commodity when the Ravens decided to move on from him following a Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which eliminated them from playoff contention. Per reports, Harbaugh received calls from seven teams 45 minutes after the news broke, New York being one of them.
Not only was Harbaugh enamored with the prospect of coaching the Giants, but the organization also acted more quickly than the rest on all fronts. Harbaugh received calls from notable franchise alumni, including two-time Super Bowl winners and former head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning. Long-time executive Chris Mara flew down to Harbaugh’s Baltimore-area home on Sunday to have lunch with him.
The conversations remained steady with Giants brass while the team fulfilled the necessary requirements that all teams must complete when hiring a new head coach. By Wednesday, they had Harbaugh in their building in New Jersey — his first in-person interview.
Amongst the number of other teams interested were the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, who were believed to be the two biggest threats to the Giants.
But Harbaugh obviously sees something special in New York, despite the franchise going an abysmal 7-27 over the last two seasons. He has an opportunity to develop rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart into a legitimate star, as he did with Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson during his time in Baltimore.
The Giants also boast a number of foundational pieces to build upon, whether that be a feared defensive front that features Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, or up-and-coming offensive weapons like running back Cam Skattebo and star wide receiver Malik Nabers.
They finally have a true leader to guide them, as general manager Joe Schoen made it a priority to bring in a veteran head coach to guide this team from one of the most prolonged, miserable stretches of its 101-year history. The Giants had also executed in-person interviews with former interim coach Mike Kafka, former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, ex-Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, ex-Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, and former linebacker and Raiders coach Antonio Pierce. They also had virtual meetings with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
