John Harbaugh Initiated Eli Manning Talks as Report Debunks Rumor of Giants Legend Recommending Him for HC Role
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John Harbaugh Initiated Eli Manning Talks as Report Debunks Rumor of Giants Legend Recommending Him for HC Role
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John Harbaugh and the New York Giants have come to an agreement to make Harbaugh their new head coach. The top coaching candidate is now off the market. There have been rumors swirling that Giants legend Eli Manning reached out to Harbaugh about coaching the Giants, but it was actually the other way around.
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The Athletic reported that Eli Manning and former Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll called Harbaugh, telling him why he’d be a perfect fit in the Big Apple. But it was actually the other way around. Harbaugh reached out to Peyton Manning to get Eli’s phone number, and the two hopped on a call shortly after to discuss the job.
Here’s a cool tidbit on @Giants hiring John Harbaugh and the research he did on them:
It’s been reported Eli Manning called to recruit him. That’s not what happened. Harbaugh initiated things by reaching out to Peyton to get Eli’s phone number and texted asking to talk. Eli then…— Gary Myers (@GaryMyersNY) January 15, 2026
Two months ago, Eli met with Giants owner John Mara to discuss who the next head coach should be. At the time, nobody knew Harbaugh would be available, but Eli told Mara that they needed to find a head coach with a lot of experience. Someone who has been around the block and seen everything in the NFL. It just so happens that Harbaugh ended up being the perfect fit.
How it all came together so fast
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NFL, American Football Herren, USA Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys Aug 16, 2025 Arlington, Texas, USA Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh looks on during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Arlington AT&T Stadium Texas USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJeromexMironx 20250816_jpm_an4_1897
Harbaugh’s camp heard from every team with a head coaching vacancy, but it appears Harbaugh’s eyes were set on the Giants’ job since the moment he left the Ravens’ building.
Jordan Schultz reported on Wednesday that the Giants were doing everything in their power to land Harbaugh. They were calling him daily, setting up private planes for him to fly to New York, and they finally got him in the building for an in-person interview that afternoon. Just hours later, it appeared the two had come to an agreement and were working to get a contract done before he could interview anywhere else. And on Thursday morning, it was made official.
BREAKING: The #Giants and John Harbaugh have been in serious talks tonight and there’s a belief the two sides are going to get a deal done before any other meetings take place, per multiple sources. https://t.co/06lVZK3cp9 pic.twitter.com/QQ9zPCFrZu
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 15, 2026
Schultz also added to his report that Harbaugh’s contract is expected to be a five-year deal worth $100 million, which will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL. That figure is very close to what he was earning in Baltimore.
There are still plenty of changes to be made to the rest of the staff, but the Giants have the big one figured out. They landed the best coach available, and it certainly helped that Harbaugh already had his eyes on the Giants’ job since he left Baltimore.
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Abhishek Kumar