Done Deal: John Harbaugh Signs on the Dotted Line with Giants

O'Connor also reported that Harbaugh told him he will report directly to team co-owner John Mara and not to general manager Joe Schoen, with whom he will collaborate on fixing the Giants roster.

The contract mini-saga first grew legs when, after it was widely reported that Harbaugh, following a whirlwind visit to the Giants’ East Rutherford headquarters, came away so impressed with the franchise that he cancelled a planned interview with the Tennessee Titans, who were prepared to meet with Harbaugh at his Baltimore area home on Thursday. 

But things took a weird turn when the Giants, after posting a smirking emoji on X (formerly Twitter) amid reports that Tam and Harbaugh had agreed to enter into a union, went radio silent, issuing no further confirmation of the media reports.

What followed were two-plus days of further reporting/speculation about the holdup of the announcement, ranging from a power struggle between Schoen and Harbaugh to Harbaugh wanting changes in the organization’s structure, to even money.

The consistent reports, though, centered on structure, with the language in the 40+ page contract reportedly undergoing multiple revisions to clarify those remaining issues.

While, in the end, things got done, it still begs the question of why these issues popped up in the first place. In the long run, it doesn’t matter now that Harbaugh is signed, sealed, and delivered to 1925 Giants Drive, but it’s still one of the more bizarre sequences the Giants have had in a head coaching hire.

What’s Next?

Harbaugh is scheduled to be formally introduced at a press conference as the Giants' new head coach on Tuesday afternoon.

He is also expected to meet with members of the Giants’ previous coaching staff, who will be returning from a two-week vacation, to determine who might be interested in staying on and, more importantly, who he wants to retain.

Harbaugh is also expected to have the Giants submit a handful of requests to the Ravens seeking permission to speak with members of his former Ravens staff about joining him with the Giants. 

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken has been linked to the offensive coordinator role. Still, the Giants will first have to satisfy the Rooney Rule before finalizing any coordinator hires.