Seventy-five percent of the AFC North currently doesn’t have a head coach. But unlike Kevin Stefanski and Mike Tomlin, former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh isn’t navigating uncertainty. He’s navigating leverage. Within 45 minutes of his firing, seven teams reportedly contacted Harbaugh’s agent for their vacant head coaching role. Although in unfamiliar territory, Harbaugh didn’t hesitate to lean on someone who had already walked this path, his former mentor, Andy Reid.

“Shortly after John Harbaugh was fired by the @Ravens last week, one of the first people he consulted with on his next step was @Chiefs coach Andy Reid,” NFL insider, Gary Myers reported. “He worked for Reid in Philly from 1999-2007, and they are great friends. Reid proved there is indeed life after getting fired from 1st HC job. Reid found it in KC. Now Harbaugh hopes to find it with @Giants.”

When Reid was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999, Harbaugh was already on the staff as a special teams coach. Rather than overhauling the staff, Reid retained Harbaugh and kept him in place for eight seasons, during which Harbaugh coached special teams and later worked with the secondary. That stretch put Harbaugh in a stable NFL environment during a period when assistant coaches are often displaced, and it coincided with the Eagles’ rise into a consistent playoff team. By the time Harbaugh began receiving head-coaching consideration in the mid-2000s, his résumé was directly tied to Reid’s staff and structure. That shared history is why Reid’s perspective carried weight after the Ravens’ decision. Plus, Reid once stood exactly where Harbaugh is standing now.

Reid inherited the Philadelphia Eagles when they had a 3–13 record and turned them into a perennial contender. He is the winningest coach in franchise history and led them to a run of four straight NFC Championship Games. But by 2012, after a 4–12 season and no playoff wins since 2008, owner Jeffrey Lurie decided it was time to move on.

“When you have a season like that, it’s embarrassing. It’s personally crushing to me and it’s terrible,” Lurie said after a tough decision to part ways with Reid.

Yet the Reid-Harbaugh relationship goes deeper than shared career turbulence.

“I actually knew his dad and knew about John,” Reid said back in 2018. “I had heard about John, and [former Eagles head coach] Ray Rhodes and I were friends, still are friends, and then Ray had told me about him, what a great coach he was. With all those things, I found out for myself that he’s a phenomenal coach. I have a ton of respect for him.”

That respect is backed by results. Harbaugh leaves Baltimore as the winningest head coach in franchise history, with a 180–113 regular-season record. The issue wasn’t overall success; it was the timing. While he won 10 playoff games in his first seven seasons, he managed just three postseason wins over his final 11 years.

After Baltimore’s 2025 regular-season finale loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which eliminated them from playoff contention, the Ravens chose to move on as they attempt to maximize the remaining prime years of Lamar Jackson. Owner Steve Bisciotti was blunt about the decision.

“I just hope you respect me enough to know that 100 percent my instincts told me this was the time,” the owner said. “And I may be right, I may be wrong, but I did it because I’m in charge of doing it.”

Now, at 63, John Harbaugh finds himself as the most sought-after coaching candidate of the 2026 cycle. He has reportedly interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons and has been linked to the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns. But ultimately, he’s signed with the New York Giants.

Chris Mara confirmed to The Athletic that he met Harbaugh informally at the coach’s home days earlier. General manager Joe Schoen and other members of ownership have remained in steady contact since Harbaugh’s dismissal. And to put that in perspective, this week, Harbaugh spent an entire day at the Giants’ facility for an in-depth interview.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, on Thursday, confirmed that both parties are working on finishing touches on a contract that will make Harbaugh “one of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches”.

According to reports, he arrived Wednesday morning and stayed into the early evening before flying back to Baltimore on co-owner Steve Tisch’s private jet. Both Tisch and John Mara were present, along with quarterback Jaxson Dart. One source told ESPN it went “good,” with conversations set to continue Thursday.

Which brings us to the real question: Not why the Giants want Harbaugh, but why Harbaugh is just as interested in them. With options everywhere, his focus suggests something more than availability. And that’s where the conversation around Harbaugh’s new chapter in the NFL begins.

The rationale behind a Harbaugh-Giants pairing

John Harbaugh’s hiring by the Giants raises two obvious questions: Why are the Giants targeting a 63-year-old veteran? And why is Harbaugh drawn to this job in particular? Let’s start with New York’s perspective. The Giants aren’t just hiring experience; they’re betting on Harbaugh’s ability to develop quarterbacks. He won a Super Bowl with a traditional pocket passer in Joe Flacco, then later reshaped his offense around Lamar Jackson, turning him into a two-time MVP.

There’s also a front-office angle. Harbaugh’s arrival could quietly extend Joe Schoen’s runway in New York. Since taking over in 2022, Schoen’s Giants have struggled, going 22-32-1 and 7-27 in the last couple of seasons, along with a midseason firing of Brian Daboll. Many around the league expected Schoen to follow. He didn’t. Hiring Harbaugh now feels less like a reset and more like a final swing for the GM.

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As for Harbaugh’s perspective, it’s not as if he lacked alternatives. He could have chosen the Falcons, with a favorable division and a talented core that includes Michael Penix Jr., Drake London, and Bijan Robinson. He could have waited to see what happened in Green Bay, especially given his agent Bryan Harlan’s deep ties to the Green Bay Packers. Instead, Harbaugh gravitated toward New York. And the reasons are telling.

First, there’s no shadow to escape. Harbaugh wouldn’t be replacing a franchise legend. Second, the Giants believe the HC can mold Jaxson Dart into their long-term answer at quarterback after flashes in his rookie season. Third, the offensive foundation is already forming, with Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo expected to play key roles in 2026. And finally, there’s legacy. Since parting ways with Tom Coughlin in 2015, the Giants have been searching for a long-term leader who can restore credibility.

That combination of low expectations, organizational need, and long-term vision explains why the notion that Harbaugh in New York fits like a duck to water has gained traction. He hasn’t signed yet, but all indications point to a deal being finalized sooner rather than later.