John Harbaugh was with the Philadelphia Eagles when 9/11 happened. But like everybody who saw the tragedy unfold on their TV screens, it left a lifelong memory on him. On multiple anniversaries, Harbaugh often used to talk about the bravehearts and the victims who passed away on that fateful day.

But now that he is in New York, the head coach thought of imbibing that respect in his team early on.

“Change in plans: Giants not back on field until mandatory minicamp begins Monday,” Stapleton wrote on X. “Instead of practicing today for what would’ve been OTA 10, John Harbaugh and staff decided to take the team to NYC for a community bonding event, including a visit to 9/11 Memorial & Museum, per sources.”

This wasn’t Harbaugh’s first visit to the memorial site. He had planned a similar trip in 2022, when he was with the Baltimore Ravens. Reflecting on that visit, the veteran head coach had nothing but gratitude for those workers and first responders for their help.

“It’s very meaningful for everybody, and we have the utmost respect and gratitude for our first responders, for the NYPD, FDNY, and the Port Authority here in New York and everywhere,” Harbaugh said per Ravens Wire. “We have the utmost respect and gratitude for what they do and for our service members here and overseas for everything they do”.

The Giants head coach seems to have a deep connection with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Joseph C. Daniels, President and CEO of the museum, shared on Instagram that Harbaugh dropped by before the museum was opened to the public. He claimed that the coach was “deeply engaged with the raw emotion of it.”

Harbaugh, being the head coach of the New York Giants, has now become connected to the city’s history. He is now committed to building the team into something the New York can be proud of.

John Harbaugh confirms major changes to Giants mini-camp

In 2026, the Giants will practice for two and a half hours on Monday, two and a half hours on Tuesday, and another 75 minutes on Wednesday during the mandatory minicamp, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Last year, the Giants practiced for only two hours on day one, and 75 minutes on day two under Brian Daboll’s leadership.

“Faster than last year? Yeah, for sure,” Holland said. “That’s kind of a thing in the league: People want to mimic game speed to a certain extent in OTAs. Some people do walk-throughs in OTAs, save the body, or whatnot. There are different perspectives and sciences about how you approach OTAs.”

Harbaugh’s practice sessions have been known to be physical and taxing. Ravens wideout Zay Flowers said on the 4th and Short podcast that he used to conduct one-on-one drills deep into the season, and as many sessions in pads as possible.

“[Everybody] out there, we’re tired, we’re still going,” the WR added.

The visit to the 9/11 Memorial might have also served as a cool-off event, before the heat gets turned up in minicamp. But it might have also been used to encourage teamwork, with a reminder of what this franchise means to New York.