The Giants have spent years trying to uncover the next great coordinator, betting on a shiny idea and ending up with more frustration than progress. That’s why John Harbaugh’s arrival has landed so differently. Right away, there’s a sense that the building has a clear voice in it now, and the first training camp has carried a sharper edge because of it.
A lot of Giants fans have rushed to frame Harbaugh as the next Bill Parcells or Tom Coughlin, the kind of hard-nosed, culture-setting coach this franchise has historically leaned on. But Michael Silver of The Athletic widened the lens and compared the hire to some names far beyond New York football.
“When a true pro enters the building and lays out his vision, it tends to be eye-opening. Before too long, I expect we’ll all be able to see the difference.”
Silver said the Harbaugh move feels a lot like Phil Jackson returning to the Lakers in 2005 or Sean Payton taking over the Broncos in 2023.
Those examples come with a built-in lesson: the fix didn’t happen on the spot. Jackson’s return didn’t produce instant hardware.
The Lakers went 45-37, then 42-40, before the culture shift finally showed up in a 57-25 season that ended with a Western Conference title. After that, Los Angeles won back-to-back Finals in the next two years.
Payton’s first year in Denver followed a similar path. The Broncos finished 8-9, then improved to 10-7 and reached the postseason. It wasn’t until his third season, when they ripped off a 14-3 record and reached the AFC Championship Game, that Denver looked like itself again.
Harbaugh’s own track record fits the same theme. He won plenty early with the Ravens, but his first Super Bowl didn’t come until his fifth season.
That’s the point here: building a real program takes time, and it happens in small steps. Hiring a 63-year-old who has already done it before makes more sense than asking an untested coordinator to figure it out under pressure.
If this first training camp means anything, the work has already started. The changes may take a season or two to fully settle in, and that’s not a flaw in the plan. It’s the plan.
Even Parcells and Coughlin needed time before their Giants teams became champions. Harbaugh doesn’t have to be the next version of either one. He just has to remind people why going with the proven coach was the right call.
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The Giants have spent training camp giving their offensive line something every young quarterback wants but rarely gets: continuity. Andrew Thomas, Jermaine Eluemunor, Jon Runyan Jr., rookie Francis Mauigoa and John Michael Schmitz have stayed together as the first unit, and the second-team group has reportedly remained mostly intact as well. For a team trying to settle Jaxson Dart into his new surroundings, that kind of stability matters, especially when it comes to the protection in front of him.
Dart enters a roster still sorting through other moving parts, but the line gives him a cleaner starting point than many rookies get. A lower sack rate is always part of the conversation for any young passer, and the Giants have at least made one important area feel less volatile by leaning on experienced blockers and keeping the same mix in place through camp. Whether that carries over once the games start is still the real test, but for now, one of the biggest concerns around Dart looks a little less daunting. [Read more 🡒]
Micah McFadden Has A Real Chance To Change The Giants Defense
Micah McFaddens return to the Giants has been one of the quieter camp developments, but it is starting to look like a meaningful one. After fully recovering from the season-ending Lisfranc injury that cut short his 2025 campaign, he re-signed on a one-year deal and has spent training camp showing the kind of form that made him part of the conversation in the first place. For a defense still sorting out its linebacker picture, that matters.
McFadden is working in a crowded room with Tremaine Edmunds, Arvell Reese and rookie Jack Kelly all in the mix for snaps, and that competition gives the Giants options if he keeps building momentum. His preseason return will be the next real checkpoint, and what he does there could tell the team plenty about how much more stable and disruptive this unit can become. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Kicking Battle Is Suddenly Leaning Toward An Unexpected Name
The Giants kicking competition has taken a sharp turn in camp, and it now has the feel of a real job battle rather than just an open audition. Undrafted free agent Dominic Zvada has been pushing the pace in practice, while second-year kicker Ben Sauls has been right there with him, giving the coaching staff a pair of legs to evaluate as the preseason opener approaches.
John Harbaugh acknowledged both kickers for the way they handled the moment, which only adds to the intrigue around a competition that was already trending toward the unexpected. With other players making their cases and a few injury situations still being monitored, the kicking picture is one of the more closely watched items before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]