The New York Giants are turning the page with a bold new hire in John Harbaugh, a proven leader with a Super Bowl pedigree. But just as the franchise looks to reset its culture and climb out of a decade-long spiral, a familiar name from its not-so-glorious recent past is making headlines of his own-Ben McAdoo, yes that Ben McAdoo, is heading to the Super Bowl as a member of the New England Patriots coaching staff.
It’s a surreal full-circle moment for Giants fans. McAdoo, who once symbolized the start of a chaotic coaching carousel in East Rutherford, now finds himself one win away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Meanwhile, the Giants are hoping Harbaugh can finally bring stability to a franchise that’s cycled through Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, and Brian Daboll since McAdoo’s departure.
McAdoo’s fall in New York was swift and dramatic. After a promising 11-5 debut season in 2016 that ended in a playoff appearance, the wheels came off in 2017.
The team started 2-10, the locker room fractured, and McAdoo made the infamous decision to bench Eli Manning, ending the quarterback’s ironman streak at 210 consecutive starts. That move didn’t just alienate the fanbase-it fractured the identity of the franchise.
By Week 13, after a loss to the then-Oakland Raiders, McAdoo was out. It was a messy, abrupt end to a tenure that started with promise but unraveled quickly.
Since then, McAdoo’s coaching journey has been anything but linear. He’s bounced around the league in various roles:
- In 2020, he resurfaced as the quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- A year later, the Dallas Cowboys brought him on as a consultant.
- In 2022, he was named offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers under Matt Rhule-a pairing that didn’t exactly pan out.
- By 2024, the New England Patriots added him to their staff as a senior offensive assistant.
- And in 2025, the Patriots shifted him to a senior defensive assistant role.
Yes, you read that right-McAdoo, once touted as an offensive mind, is now contributing on the defensive side in Foxborough. It’s an unusual pivot, but it’s clearly working in New England’s system. The Patriots just punched their ticket to the Super Bowl with a gritty 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, setting up a rematch with the Seattle Seahawks-the same team they beat in Super Bowl XLIX.
Adding another layer of intrigue? The Seahawks are led by two former Giants standouts: defensive lineman Leonard Williams and safety Julian Love.
Both were key contributors in New York before finding new life in Seattle. So not only is McAdoo back on the sport’s biggest stage, but he’ll be facing off against a pair of ex-Giants who’ve also found success elsewhere.
For Giants fans, it’s a bit of a nightmare scenario. The coach who oversaw one of the most turbulent stretches in franchise history could soon be celebrating a Super Bowl victory, while the team he left behind is still trying to rebuild. It’s the kind of twist that only the NFL can deliver.
But there’s a silver lining in all this. With Harbaugh now at the helm, the Giants are finally making moves that suggest a serious commitment to turning things around.
His early staff hires have drawn praise, and his track record speaks for itself. There’s a sense that the Giants are no longer grasping at straws-they’re building something with a foundation.
So while McAdoo may be prepping for confetti and champagne in New England, the Giants are focused on the future. If Harbaugh delivers on his potential, this could be the moment the franchise finally breaks free from a decade of dysfunction. And for Giants fans, that’s the real win.