Despite John Harbaugh being linked to the head coaching openings with the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans, the New York Giants appear to have taken an early lead in the race for his services.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jordan Raanan, Harbaugh is set to visit the Giants on Wednesday for his first in-person visit to another team’s training facility since being fired by the Baltimore Ravens.
The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor and Dianna Russini reported on Tuesday that “league sources with direct knowledge of the process” stated that the Giants, Falcons and Titans are considered the favorites to land Harbaugh this offseason. Atlanta announced on Monday that it had completed an interview with Harbaugh, but it was conducted over the phone. A league source told O’Connor and Russini that all three teams “have all been in daily communication with Harbaugh and his agent, Bryan Harlan, and are expected to meet with the coach for in-person interviews by the end of the weekend.”
The Giants are looking to usher in a new era after firing Brian Daboll during the 2025 season and finishing the year with a 4-13 record. It appears that New York is making a strong push for Harbaugh, as team executive Chris Mara, the brother of co-owner John Mara, told O’Connor and Russini that he visited with Harbaugh at his Baltimore-area home on Sunday.
If that wasn’t enough, it was also noted that Harbaugh received calls from Daboll himself and Giants legend Eli Manning, both of whom gave him “strong scouting reports” for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. O’Connor and Russini reported that Harbaugh has told at least one person that his film study of Dart showed “a lot to be excited about.”
Still, that shouldn’t rule out the Falcons and Titans in the chase for Harbaugh. Atlanta has a promising young quarterback in Michael Penix Jr., who will be motivated to bounce back from season-ending ACL surgery. Tennessee has 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward, who clearly needs a strong leader to develop him into the quarterback the franchise is expecting.
Harbaugh’s decision on his next head coaching job could be the first domino that needs to fall in this offseason’s coaching carousel, so many will be watching closely as he determines his next move.
