Is alleged interest between Giants, John Harbaugh mutual?

Almost immediately after former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh became the hottest available candidate of the ongoing hiring cycle on Tuesday, excited New York Giants fans clamored for the club to speak with him. 

It appears both parties may want to begin a working relationship as early as later in January.

Giants, John Harbaugh already flirting with each other?

According to NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY, the Giants already completed "a ton of preliminary research" on Harbaugh before he was shown the door on Tuesday. Both Hughes and Paul Schwartz of the New York Post noted that the Giants and "every team with an opening" are expected to inquire about interviewing Harbaugh sooner rather than later. 

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was previously seen as the favorite to win the Giants' gig. Some have questioned how candidates such as Stefanski and Harbaugh may feel about being married to quarterback Jaxson Dart, who showed promise as a rookie but also missed two games due to a concussion during the 2025 regular season. It appears Harbaugh would welcome being tasked with getting the most out of Dart's abilities. 

"John Harbaugh has a high regard for the Giants' job and for Jaxson Dart," longtime New York sports reporter Ian O'Connor of The Athletic shared. For an article published early Wednesday morning, O'Connor noted that Harbaugh "would be the first coach the Giants have ever hired who had won a Super Bowl somewhere else." O'Connor repeated that Harbaugh is "a fan of Jaxson Dart’s game." 

Why Giants can't just hire John Harbaugh ASAP

Giants fans who want the club to immediately hire Harbaugh should remember that such a union can't become official overnight. Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith is among those who have pointed out that the Giants and other clubs must speak with two minority candidates to satisfy the Rooney Rule before anybody is hired. 

It was just last January when the New England Patriots were accused of completing "sham" interviews with minority candidates before they hired Mike Vrabel as their head coach. Nothing came of such allegations, but it nevertheless could be interesting to see if candidates choose not to speak with the Giants in January if they are led to believe Big Blue and Harbaugh have already come to terms on an agreement.