The New York Giants appear to have zeroed in on their next head coach - and they’re not hiding how serious they are about landing him.
John Harbaugh, the longtime Ravens head coach and Super Bowl champion, is on the verge of becoming the Giants’ new sideline leader. But while fans in East Rutherford were waiting for the official word, a surprising twist came from Atlanta - and it didn’t sit well with the Giants’ brass.
Earlier this week, the Falcons announced they had interviewed Harbaugh, which raised more than a few eyebrows considering the buzz around his potential deal with New York. But as it turns out, that “interview” was more of a courtesy call - a phone conversation that Harbaugh reportedly had with several teams. Despite that, the Falcons’ framing of the interaction didn’t go unnoticed.
According to reports, the Giants were less than thrilled with Atlanta’s decision to portray the call as a formal interview. Inside the organization, there was a sense that the Falcons were trying to insert themselves into a situation that was already well in motion - and that didn’t sit well with the Giants, who’ve been moving aggressively to bring Harbaugh on board.
Chris Mara, a key figure in the Giants' front office and a member of the ownership family, even went on record to express the team's frustration. The message was clear: the Giants are all-in on Harbaugh, and they don’t appreciate any attempts to muddy the waters.
Behind the scenes, the relationship between Harbaugh and the Giants has been building steadily. It started with an informal lunch at Harbaugh’s home on Sunday - a quiet, personal meeting that laid the groundwork for what was to come. By Wednesday, the process had gone full throttle.
Harbaugh flew into New Jersey on the private jet of Giants part-owner Steve Tisch, a move that speaks volumes about how serious the franchise is. Once he landed, Harbaugh spent hours at the Giants’ facility in East Rutherford, diving into what would be his new football home.
That evening, the Giants pulled out all the stops. Harbaugh was treated to dinner at Elia, a familiar spot for the organization when it comes to sealing big-time deals. Joining him at the table were general manager Joe Schoen and Chris Mara, both of whom were there to make one final push.
According to restaurant owner Tim Salouros, the energy in the room was unmistakable.
“When Joe walked in, you knew the deal was going to go down,” Salouros said. “It was the first time they called me to tell me the timing.
They told me he had to be on a flight at 7:30. Before coach left, he said, ‘I’ll be back.’”
That last line - “I’ll be back” - felt like more than just a throwaway goodbye. It sounded like a promise.
By Thursday morning, Elia’s Instagram account posted a photo congratulating Harbaugh on becoming the next head coach of the Giants. While the team hadn’t made anything official yet, the writing was on the wall.
“Congratulations to John Harbaugh on becoming the new Head Coach of the New York Giants,” the post read. “Wishing you nothing but success in this next chapter. Thank you to the entire New York Giants organization for always including us as part of the process - it truly means a lot.”
Harbaugh, 63, was the top name on the Giants’ list as they searched for a full-time replacement for Brian Daboll, who was fired in November. And it’s easy to see why. In 18 seasons with the Ravens, Harbaugh led the team to the playoffs 12 times and brought home a Lombardi Trophy in the 2012 season - the year after the Giants last won it all.
His tenure in Baltimore ended after a gut-wrenching loss in the season finale - a missed field goal at the buzzer that kept the Ravens out of the postseason. But if that chapter is closed, the next one could be opening in New York.
Other teams, including the Titans and Falcons, reportedly expressed interest. But from all indications, the Giants have been in the driver’s seat from the start. The bond between Harbaugh and the Mara family is growing, and the organization seems determined not to let this opportunity slip away.
The Giants haven’t had a long-term answer at head coach in years. But if this deal gets across the finish line - and all signs point to it happening soon - they may finally have found their guy.