When John Harbaugh left the Baltimore Ravens, it turned the entire 2026 head coaching cycle on its head. He instantly became the best coach available, and he had teams that hadn’t even fired their coach yet reaching out to his agent. He quite literally was able to hand-pick his favorite job, and he very quickly gravitated to the New York Giants. But many believe he may already be regretting his decision.

On Monday morning, the Buffalo Bills fired long-time Head Coach Sean McDermott. He took this team from nothing and built them into Super Bowl contenders, but after seven straight playoff appearances without a single Super Bowl appearance, it was time for a change. The Bills are now the single most attractive job opening, even over Baltimore, and they could’ve been a perfect fit for Harbaugh.

But I’m not so sure everyone’s right about that.

Why the Giants’ job is so attractive

When Harbaugh left Baltimore, the Giants’ job was the best one available. At least in my eyes. The main reason being they already have their franchise quarterback in place, which is something no other team could offer. Jaxson Dart was electric in year one, totaling over 2,700 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions in 12 starts. Going in knowing you don’t have to waste a first-round pick and pay him 200+ million dollars for the next four seasons is a great place to start.

The Giants also own the fifth overall pick in the draft, which they can use to fill one of their holes. Whether they add someone like Arvell Reese, who can do almost everything for you defensively, or someone like Jordyn Tyson or Carnell Tate to pair with Malik Nabers on the outside, or Spencer Fano to protect their second-year quarterback, they can’t go wrong. They will get an impact player that will help them continue their rebuild at No. 5.

Another huge selling point for the Giants is their defensive line. They have stars all over the place with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter and Dexter Lawrence. That’s a position teams use premium draft capital on all the time, so not feeling forced to add a game changer at the defensive end position with the fifth pick is huge.

Another big bonus for Harbaugh is job security. The Giants know this isn’t going to be a one-year process. They have a lot of pieces already, but there are still quite a few holes to be filled. Unless he got 1-16 in his first two seasons, he’s not getting fired anytime soon, so he knows this could potentially be his last job if he does it right.

Top Stories

Josh Allen’s Bills Coach to Quietly Retire as Sean McDermott Addresses ‘Tough End’ After Broncos Loss

Troy Aikman Allegedly Forced Mike McDaniel’s Firing as $6.35 Billion NFL Team Rejects Ousted Dolphins Coach

Concern Mounts as Texans’ Plane Forced to Remain Airborne After Tough Playoff Loss to Patriots

Cam Skattebo Sends Expletive-Laced Message on Giants’ John Harbaugh Announcement

Ben Johnson Breaks Silence on Controversial Play Call After Disappointing Statement on Bears Loss

Bills come with some downsides

The Bills offer one thing nobody else in the league can: Josh Allen. He’s the most electric quarterback in the NFL right now, which makes the job very desirable, but there are a few negatives that could have driven Harbaugh away.

First, and most importantly, the Bills’ next head coach is going to be on a short leash. It’s Super Bowl or bust in Buffalo, and if the guy they bring in to replace McDermott doesn’t win in three or four years, he could be right out the door. They know Josh Allen is only getting older, so they have to give themselves the best shot to win it soon, so a couple of failed seasons and Buffalo’s next head coach could be kicked to the curb.

Another reason taking Buffalo’s job could have been a mistake for Harbaugh is that this roster really isn’t all that great. They have a solid secondary and offensive line and one of the best running backs in the business, but they need a ton of help along their front seven, and they need multiple receivers. We’ve seen Allen put on his Superman cape a few times, but he can only do so much.

Another reason is that Allen is no longer on his rookie contract. The Bills are shelling out 53+ million dollars to Allen over the next four seasons, including an $86 million cap hit in 2029 and a $79.8 million cap hit in 2030. The Bills are already $11 million in the red for next season, so adding the pieces they need to their front seven and receiving core is going to be extremely tough.

The AFC is going to be a gauntlet for years, too. Just look at some of the quarterbacks in teams in that conference. Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Drake Maye, Bo Nix, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert are going to be in the mix every single year, and then there’s teams like Houston, who have an elite defense that’s going to stay intact for a while. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a conference this loaded, so I’m not surprised Harbaugh wanted no part in it.

If Harbaugh took the Bills job and didn’t win the Super Bowl, there’s no resetting. Once the Super Bowl window closed, he’d be out the door and searching for a job again.

Also, an important thing to factor in here is that Harbaugh likely knew there was a chance McDermott would be fired if the Bills lost, and he still took the Giants job before the weekend. New York has their foundation in place, they just needed someone who is a proven coach and could help take them to the next level, and that’s what Harbaugh is.

The Giants are the perfect landing spot for Harbaugh. Sure, Buffalo could mean another Super Bowl in the next three years, but it could also very well end up in him searching for another job in three years.