John Harbaugh may have been the right choice for the New York Giants when they searched for a new head coach, but he’s joining a franchise that hasn’t quite lived up to its name since Eli Manning’s retirement. Naturally, one of the first things expected from Coach Harbaugh was a motivational speech. And he delivered one.
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But it was met with criticism after he shouted “New York Giants” four times. Former NFL quarterback and MVP Cam Newton has since weighed in, sharing his thoughts on what the team should expect from its new head coach.
“Harbaugh, take your behind back to Baltimore,” Newton said on his 4th&1 podcast. “Because at this rate, you don’t need to go around smashing your head. These are professionals. We want the vision. We want the mission. What are we going to be known for from our leader as a coach? What are we going to be known for? This ain’t about those New York Giants, huh?”
The Giants released a clip from day 1 of the Giants’ OTAs ahead of the release of “Giants Life: The Offseason.” In the clip, Harbaugh is trying to hype up his players and fellow coaches by screaming the team’s name, but the players failed to match their head coach’s energy.
Since then, Harbaugh has been receiving criticism, mostly from Dallas Cowboys fans and those linked to the Baltimore Ravens. Fans didn’t like the “Rah-Rah” speech from Harbaugh. At the same time, the Ravens’ reporters called out the head coach’s motivational speech, including Nikhil Mehta of SB Nation’s Baltimore Beatdown.
“All due respect to Harbs, but he might want to get his hands out of his pockets when he’s giving a rah-rah speech…” he wrote.
Think about it: Harbaugh has joined a team where second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter have recently made headlines for off-field narratives. The Giants have running back Cam Skattebo, who is working his way back after suffering a season-ending injury during the 2025 season, while being involved in multiple off-field recklessness.
Then there’s Malik Nabers returning from a season-ending injury. So, it’s fair to say that expectations for Harbaugh and his players are sky-high. Of course, Harbaugh likely addressed the team at length beyond what was shown in the clip.
But it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that the snippet the Giants shared on social media may not have been the best representation of his message. That said, Harbaugh and the Giants will soon begin their training camp late this month.