As the dust settles around John Harbaugh’s stunning move to the New York Giants, insiders have revealed the one power move he pulled during negotiations.
On Saturday, former Baltimore Ravens coach Harbaugh confirmed that he had agreed to a lucrative, five-year deal to join the Big Blue in East Rutherford.
It marked the end of a long-running saga which saw a number of teams in the league – such as the Atlanta Falcons – attempt to land the 63-year-old’s signature.
In the end, Giants owner Chris Mara was able to convince him that New York was the place to be – but new reports have revealed that Harbaugh had demands of his own.
According to The Athletic, during negotiations, Harbaugh needed it ‘in writing’ that he would report to Mara and not to GM Joe Schoen.
The outlet claim that Harbaugh had pushed the ownership to adopt a coach-driven model as opposed to the GM-centric structure they have previously operated under.
During negotiations with the New York Giants, John Harbaugh, left, reportedly requested that he report directly to the team owner and not to general manager Joe Schoen, right
Harbaugh will report directly to the Giants ownership group led by Chris Mara, pictured
Harbaugh (center) and GM Schoen pictured at a restaurant in New Jersey on Wednesday night
The outlet also claim that Schoen recused himself from the negotiations over the last couple of days, in order to help get a deal over the line.
Schoen, who has just one year left on his current deal, has come under scrutiny during his time with the Giants, who some fans claiming he’s not up to standard.
The Giants have one of the worst records in the NFL during his tenure (22-45-1 through early 2026), with results worsening after their surprise 2022 playoff run.
Schoen was hired in 2022 and brought Brian Daboll with him, however, after years of struggling in the league, the head coach was dismissed during the 2025 season.
Following his announcement as Giants boss, Harbaugh was asked about his relationship with Schoen, to which he said he was excited to work with him.
‘I really like Joe. We had great football talks and great life talks,’ Harbaugh said. ‘He’s a hard worker, and I’m ready for us to roll up our sleeves.’
He added, when asked about who will have the final say in the draft if he disagrees with Schoen’s preference: ‘It will be the same as it was in Baltimore & everywhere around the league.
‘We’re going to work until we agree. We’ll figure it out, hash it out & do whatever it takes to get on the same page.’
Meanwhile, when Schoen was asked about Harbaugh, he said: ‘Throughout our conversations, John stood out for his clarity, competitiveness and approach for building a sustainable winning program.
Schoen brought in Brian Daboll when he arrived at the Giants. The latter was fired in November
On Saturday, Harbaugh said: ‘This is the New York Giants. I’m proud and honored to the head coach of this historic franchise’
Jaxson Dart leads an exciting young core that Harbaugh inherits as the new head coach
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‘He has a strong track record of developing players, building cohesive staffs, and setting a clear standard of accountability. We are excited to work with John in moving this team in the right direction.’
Reports emerged at the start of last week that the Giants were keen on Harbaugh and, by Saturday afternoon, he had reached an agreement to become their head coach.
He told the ESPN: ‘This is the New York Giants. I’m proud and honored to the head coach of this historic franchise, and especially excited to work with the Mara and Tisch families.
‘But most of all, I can’t wait to get started with the great players on this football team to see what we can accomplish together.
‘I know how great our fans are. I’ve seen them close up enough. We are going to build a team that’s going to play a brand of football that you will be proud of’.
The 63-year-old interviewed in person with the Giants on Wednesday, spending hours at the team facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He was flown in on the private jet of part-owner Steve Tisch.
Then he was treated to a delicious dinner at Elia, a restaurant the Giants have used a number of times to get major deals over the line, where general manager Joe Schoen and owner Mara made their final pitch to the former Baltimore coach.
The Ravens made the playoffs 12 times during 18 seasons with Harbaugh in charge and won the Super Bowl in the 2012 season, a year after the Giants’ most recent championship.
