NFL Executive Compares Bombshell Coaching Hiring To Mike Vrabel Joining Patriots

Several NFL teams will hope to follow the New England Patriots and ride a new head coach to colossal improvement in 2026. One team could be well-positioned to make a similar leap.

The New York Giants are finalizing a deal to hire John Harbaugh as their new head coach, as first reported late Wednesday night by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Although not yet official, the Giants teased an announcement by posting a smirking face emoji on social media Thursday morning.

Harbaugh’s arrival could yield considerable excitement around Big Blue next season. An AFC executive likened his hiring to the Patriots landing Vrabel last offseason, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

“Vrabel to New England last year is John Harbaugh to the Giants in 2026,” the executive told Schultz. “Mark it down now. A+ hire.”

The Giants would love for Harbaugh to match Vrabel’s success with a new team. The Patriots followed consecutive four-win seasons by going 13-4 before earning a first-round playoff victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

New York also made a coaching change after a 4-13 campaign. The Giants are reportedly replacing Brian Daboll with Harbaugh, a Super Bowl champion who won 180 regular-season games in 18 years with the Baltimore Ravens.

Harbaugh took Baltimore to 12 playoff appearances, but the Ravens fired the longtime coach after losing Week 18’s AFC North title clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers when rookie Tyler Loop missed a potential game-winning field goal.

Meanwhile, the Giants have made just two postseasons in 14 years since winning Super Bowl XLVI. Yet they’ll hope Jaxson Dart takes a huge second-year jump like Drake Maye and leads the franchise back to success in 2026.