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Can Titans still win over John Harbaugh after push by Giants?
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Can Titans still win John Harbaugh sweepstakes after aggressive push by Giants?

By Clark Dalton  |  Last updated Jan 14, 2026 8:57 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans better have one heck of a sales pitch for former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. 

The New York Giants reportedly held an in-person interview with the Super Bowl-winning coach at their facility in East Rutherford, N.J., on Wednesday. It sounds like the franchise pulled out all the stops, including letting the coach meet with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart (via NFL Media's Mike Garafolo). 

Despite New York's aggressive push, Harbaugh still plans to meet with Tennessee on Thursday at his home in Baltimore, per The Athletic's Dianna Russini. He already met with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. With that in mind, the Titans must ramp up their efforts to land the coach. 

How can Titans convince John Harbaugh that their head-coaching opening is better than that of the Giants? 

Don't kid yourself, Titans fans; the Giants have a clear edge in the race for Harbaugh. New York is one of the most storied franchises in the NFL, having won four Super Bowls. Tennessee, meanwhile, has hoisted no Lombardi Trophies and hasn't made the playoffs since the 2021 season. Surely, coaching one of the league's marquee franchises is alluring.

That said, it may be more difficult to rebuild in New York (4-13) than in Tennessee (3-14). The Giants own the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft but lack cap space. Spotrac estimates they will have $11.9M in cap room this upcoming offseason. 

Tennessee holds the No. 4 pick, but unlike New York, it's in a position to splurge in free agency. Spotrac projects that the Titans will have $102.9M in cap room, the second most in the NFL behind the Los Angeles Chargers ($109.9M). 

Harbaugh's clearly interested in Dart — named an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Tuesday — but Ward also intrigues him. He reportedly studied tape of the two rookie QBs before conducting interviews. 

Statistically, Dart had a better rookie season. In 14 games, he completed 63.7% (slightly below the league average) of his passes for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Ward, meanwhile, completed 59.8% of his passes for 3,169 yards, 15 TD passes and seven picks in 17 games. However, Ward's arm talent impressed those in league circles. 

"A supercut of Ward's best throws stands up with those of Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud and a slew of other quarterbacks during their rookie seasons," wrote ESPN's Ben Solak, who named Ward to his All-Rookie team.

The Giants should still be considered the front-runners for Harbaugh. Despite that, the Titans hold advantages that could sway his decision. 

Perhaps the Titans should have Ward fly with them to Baltimore. The QB has said he wants to meet head-coaching candidates. That would show how badly they want Harbaugh, which they must do with New York going all-in for the coach. 

Clark Dalton
Twitter/X Muck Rack

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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