Honestly, if you told a Giants fan back in September that they’d be entering 2026 with John Harbaugh holding the clipboard, they’d probably have asked what you were drinking. It’s been a whirlwind. A total mess at times, really. But here we are. The New York Giants team is currently the talk of the NFL after pulling off what many insiders are calling the heist of the decade by landing Harbaugh just hours after his departure from Baltimore.
It wasn’t supposed to go like this. Brian Daboll was the "offensive guru," the guy who was going to fix everything. Instead, he was out by November 10th after a 2–8 start that felt like a slow-motion car crash. The 2025 season was basically a long, painful lesson in what happens when "potential" meets a brutal reality of injuries and coaching stagnation. The Giants finished 4–13. Dead last in the NFC East. Again.
Why the New York Giants team is finally a "destination" job
You’d think a team coming off a four-win season would be at the bottom of every coach’s wish list. You’d be wrong. The New York Giants team actually became the second-most attractive vacancy in the league this cycle, right behind the Ravens (ironically). Why? Because for the first time in forever, the cupboard isn’t bare.
General Manager Joe Schoen has been quietly—okay, maybe not so quietly—stacking high-end talent. We’re talking about real, blue-chip cornerstones.
- Jaxson Dart: The rookie QB showed enough flashes of brilliance to make scouts drool.
- Malik Nabers: This guy is a certified alien. He broke the franchise record for receptions in a season (109) and did it while being the primary focus of every defensive coordinator's nightmare.
- Abdul Carter: The No. 3 overall pick from Penn State lived up to the hype immediately.
- Dexter Lawrence & Brian Burns: A defensive front that, on paper, should be illegal.
When John Harbaugh looked at this roster, he didn't see a rebuilding project. He saw a Ferrari that just needed a driver who wouldn't crash it into a ditch. The five-year deal he signed on January 15th makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in history, but it also signals that the "New York Giants team" is done with the "wait and see" approach.
The Jaxson Dart Factor
Let’s talk about the kid. Jaxson Dart isn't just a placeholder. When the Giants took him at 25th overall (thanks to that savvy trade with Houston), the pressure was immense. He responded by becoming a Pepsi Rookie of the Year nominee.
Dart has that specific kind of "it" factor that Daniel Jones—love him or hate him—never quite solidified. He's mobile, he's got a cannon, and he actually looks comfortable throwing into tight windows to Nabers. Speaking of Jones, it's kinda surreal to see him thriving (well, until the Achilles tear) with the Colts. But that chapter is closed. The New York Giants team belongs to Dart now.
The Salary Cap "Disaster" That Isn't
If you spend five minutes on social media, you'll hear people screaming about the Giants having no money. "They only have $5 million in cap space!" they cry. Well, sort of.
Technically, the "New York Giants team" enters the 2026 offseason with about $5.2 million in "real" space. But that's a fake number. It doesn't account for the "easy" moves Joe Schoen is about to make. If they move on from veterans who have clearly lost a step—think Bobby Okereke, Devin Singletary, and Graham Gano—they can clear nearly $25 million almost instantly.
If they get aggressive with restructures for guys like Andrew Thomas and Brian Burns? That number jumps to over $50 million. The flexibility is there. They just have to be willing to cut the cord on players who were supposed to be "the guys" but ended up being expensive placeholders.
Who stays and who goes?
Honestly, the Devin Singletary era is probably over. With Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo (the Arizona State "cult hero" whose rookie season was cut short by a nasty ankle injury) waiting in the wings, paying a veteran RB makes zero sense.
The offensive line is still the big question mark. Jermaine Eluemunor needs to be resigned. He’s been a rock at right tackle. Losing him would be a disaster for Dart’s development. The Giants are sitting at the No. 5 pick in the 2026 Draft, and the debate is already raging: do they take another weapon for Dart, or do they finally, once and for all, build a wall of granite in front of him?
What Really Happened in 2025
You can't talk about the current state of the New York Giants team without acknowledging the 2025 collapse. It was historic in the worst way. They were the first team eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight year. They blew seven games by a single possession.
If they had won just the games where they held double-digit leads, they would have finished 11–6. That’s the difference between Brian Daboll having a job and John Harbaugh being the new king of East Rutherford. The defense, despite having Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns, couldn't stop a nosebleed in the fourth quarter. It was "coaching malpractice," as some analysts put it.
The fan base is exhausted. They've seen five head coaches in ten years. They've seen the "culture" talked about more than actual wins. But this hire feels different. Harbaugh brings a level of institutional stability that hasn't existed here since the Tom Coughlin days.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Offseason
If the Giants want to actually compete in the NFC East next year, they can't just rely on the "Harbaugh Bump." They need to execute a very specific plan:
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- Prioritize the Trenches: Resign Eluemunor and use that No. 5 pick on the best offensive lineman available or a dominant interior defender to pair with "Sexy Dexy."
- Clear the Dead Weight: Be ruthless with the cap. Moving on from Okereke and Singletary provides the "ammunition" needed for free agency.
- Modernize the Offense: Harbaugh needs to bring in an OC who can maximize Dart’s mobility without turning him into a turnover machine.
- Fix the Secondary: The defense has the pass rush, but the back end was a sieve. Adding a veteran CB2 is non-negotiable.
The New York Giants team isn't as far away as the 4–13 record suggests. They have the QB. They have the WR1. They have the pass rush. Now, they finally have the adult in the room to lead them. The 2026 season isn't just another "rebuild"—it's the start of what many hope is the final chapter of a decade-long nightmare.