John Harbaugh has spent the past 72 hours doing exactly what made him a Super Bowl champion: being thorough and refusing to accept organizational dysfunction before it becomes a problem.
The delay in Harbaugh signing his reported five-year, $100 million contract with the New York Giants isn’t about the Super Bowl champion getting cold feet or pushing for more money. Instead, the final issues are over specific language in the deal. What it comes down to is Harbaugh demanding that the Giants operate like the Ravens before he agrees to coach there. Let’s get into what that entails.
John Harbaugh’s Organizational Demands Reveal What He Learned in Baltimore
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the final sticking point is “more about reporting structure and who is able to do what and how the whole organization is set up.”
For 18 years, Harbaugh worked inside one of the NFL’s most stable franchises. He had only two GMs during his entire tenure: Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta. And critically, as The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reported, “Harbaugh didn’t report to the GM in Baltimore. He reported directly to owner Steve Bisciotti. That hasn’t been the Giants’ chain of command historically.”
This distinction matters enormously. Harbaugh spent nearly two decades in an environment where the coach and GM collaborated as equals under ownership rather than operating in a traditional hierarchy where the coach reports to the GM. When DeCosta took over from Newsome, the transition was seamless precisely because everyone understood their roles and respected the structure.
Now, Harbaugh is walking into a franchise that has cycled through six head coaches (including interim coaches) since Tom Coughlin resigned in Jan. 2016. The Giants went 4-13 in 2025 after finishing 3-14 in 2024. The Giants’ pursuit of Harbaugh has had the earmarks of an effort driven by ownership. How general manager Joe Schoen fits into all of this is also something both parties must figure out.
According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, the biggest hangup for the deal is Harbaugh’s desire to have complete control over personnel. As a result, this could lead to the firing of Schoen or stripping him of certain responsibilities.
“There were rumblings on Friday that GM Joe Schoen’s role in this new dynamic could be one of the factors creating a hangup. Harbaugh has more leverage right now than he has ever had before, and than he ever will have again. There is no reason for Harbaugh to accept this job without decision-making power in personnel,” writes Leonard.
“Several sources told the Daily News during the Giants’ courtship that they expected Harbaugh to either want Schoen gone or to reduce his power in the Giants’ new structure. So this should be no surprise to anyone.”
The changes go beyond Schoen, though. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported that “several who know Harbaugh well suggested he would want major changes to the way the Giants organization operates.” Those changes reportedly extend beyond the football side, touching departments like training, video, and public relations — areas the Giants have historically insulated from coaching staff input.
Harbaugh wants to structure his new job the same way things were set up in Baltimore, and apparently the Giants are holding firm on certain things.
For Giants fans, they are worried that Harbaugh could pull a Josh McDaniels and back out (just as McDaniels did after verbally accepting the Indianapolis Colts job in 2018).
But the substance of what’s holding up Harbaugh’s deal suggests the opposite conclusion. He isn’t trying to escape to a better opportunity, but rather he’s trying to set up New York for success once he arrives. It’s worth noting that Harbaugh canceled his scheduled interviews with the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons (who have seemingly moved on and appear to be zeroing in on Kevin Stefanski). Harbaugh seems committed to New York. He’s just committed to New York being run correctly.
Harbaugh understands that infrastructure determines outcomes. He won 180 regular-season games and a Super Bowl with Baltimore because the Ravens built an organization designed to support winning. He’s not going to accept anything less from the Giants.
Ian O’Connor of The Athletic put it simply: “Can’t see this unraveling. Both sides know way too much at stake.”
The deal should get done, assuming the Giants are willing to hand control over Harbaugh and admit that perhaps there’s a better way of doing things.
