What Giants GM Joe Schoen may have to prove to John Harbaugh to keep his job

Reports from over the weekend shared that New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has been "basically relegated to handling scouting" under the team's new organizational structure that involves recently hired Giants senior vice president of football operations and strategy Dawn Aponte reporting to new head coach John Harbaugh, who reports to team co-owner John Mara and not to Schoen. 

Many have assumed that it is now a matter of when and not if Schoen and the Giants will agree that a divorce is what's best for everybody involved. On Monday, Giants reporter Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News hinted that Schoen could continue working for the club beyond the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

"Not out of the question" that Joe Schoen could be long-term part of John Harbaugh's regime?

"Schoen is entering the final year of his original five-year contract with the Giants," Leonard wrote. "...Schoen definitely seems to believe he is safe, or he at least wants people to believe that an extension is inevitable. On the other hand, some sources believe Schoen could be moved out of the organization in the months following the draft in a gradual but complete transition away from the previous regime. It is not out of the question that Schoen — a survivor, if nothing else — could find a way to stick around in the new organizational structure in his reduced role." 

The Giants went 13-38 under Schoen's watch from Week 1 of the 2023 season through Week 18 of this past campaign, so few fans opposed Mara handing the figurative keys to the kingdom over to Harbaugh in January. During a recent chat with The Athletic's Ian O'Connor, Harbaugh insisted that he "had high expectations for [Schoen], and I would say he’s lived up to those high expectations." 

According to Leonard, Schoen will need to continue impressing Harbaugh over the next several months. 

How Joe Schoen needs to get on John Harbaugh's level

"Schoen will need to be able to stand his ground in personnel conversations with the convicted and experienced Harbaugh and be able to discuss the players and the game on the coach’s level," Leonard added. "Many in the league believe he will have to prove that." 

Of course, it's possible that Schoen will decide at some point this spring or summer that he and Harbaugh can't co-exist. If nothing else, it sounds like the next few months will essentially serve as a job audition for Schoen. Even if he inks a short-term extension between the end of the draft and the start of the NFL's summer break, Harbaugh could ultimately demand that he be permitted to choose his own general manager next winter.