John Harbaugh didn’t need an extensive in-person tour to identify his desired next stop as an NFL head coach.
And on Thursday morning, he accepted a five-year deal to join the New York Giants, multiple people familiar with the agreement told USA TODAY Sports. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because a deal had not yet been finalized.
The former Baltimore Ravens coach, who was fired on Jan. 6 after an 18-year run with the organization, began working late Wednesday night to finalize a deal with the Giants, Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com and The Record − part of the USA TODAY Network − reported. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the news.
The move comes on the heels of Harbaugh’s in-person meeting with Giants brass on Wednesday, his first such connection with any team this offseason. Harbaugh had decided to take the weekend before narrowing down his choices and deciding which teams he had wanted to interview with.
Now, barring a setback with establishing the exact parameters of the agreement, he’ll have his landing spot settled.
Here’s the latest on what we know about the Giants and Harbaugh:
Report: John Harbaugh’s Giants contract nears $100 million
Harbaugh’s five-year deal with the Giants is expected to come with ‘a total value that nears $100 [million]’, according to Jordan Schultz.
Such a deal would likely give Harbaugh a salary increase. Sportico reports the veteran coach was making $17 million per year at the end of his time with the Ravens, the third-highest average annual salary among NFL coaches.
Report: John Harbaugh accepts Giants job
It looks like the first step is complete. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Harbaugh has accepted the Giants’ offer to become their next head coach. Rapoport says the two sides are in the process of finalizing terms of a five-year deal to make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches.
Report: Todd Monken ‘early leader’ to be Giants OC
Monken spent the last three seasons as Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator with the Ravens. It looks like he might be following Harbaugh to the Giants.
NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reports Monken is ‘among the leading candidates’ to be the Giants’ next offensive coordinator. Garafolo also noted there were ‘a few options’ on the table for the 59-year-old coach and that the Giants would still conduct a search to fill the position.
Monken helped Lamar Jackson turn in MVP-caliber campaigns in 2023 and 2024, seasons during which the Ravens posted top-six rankings in offensive EPA per play, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Monken also has offensive coordinator experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-18) and Cleveland Browns (2019).
Giants post single emoji on X amid John Harbaugh rumors
The Giants have yet to officially provide an update about whether they are planning to hire Harbaugh. However, the team posted a single, smirking emoji to social media the morning of Jan. 15, which many are viewing as a nod to the Harbaugh rumors.
Have the Giants officially hired John Harbaugh?
The two sides were still hammering out financial figures Wednesday night, according to Schefter. Though that ostensibly leaves wiggle room for an agreement to fall through, Schefter reported a deal was expected to be reached.
If one is established, the Giants would become the first of nine NFL teams this offseason to fill a head-coaching vacancy.
Which other NFL teams were pursuing John Harbaugh?
The Tennessee Titans had been scheduled to meet with Harbaugh on Thursday, according to multiple reports. With $96.7 million in projected cap space, according to Over the Cap, and 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward in tow, Tennessee had been seen by some as a dark-horse candidate to land Harbaugh.
The Atlanta Falcons had also emerged as potential competition for New York to land Harbaugh. The Falcons said on Monday that they had conducted an interview with Harbaugh, though multiple reports later revealed that it was not an in-person meeting.
Harbaugh also had preliminary phone calls with the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN and NFL Network.
Which other coaches did the Giants interview?
Unlike other teams, the Giants have not officially confirmed head-coach interviews after their completion this cycle.
However, according to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com and The Record – part of the USA TODAY Network – the team held in-person meetings with former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach and ex-Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce and Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka.
The Giants also held virtual interviews with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, according to Stapleton.
New York has already satisfied the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for any head-coaching vacancy, thereby clearing the franchise to make a hire.
How does John Harbaugh fit with the Giants?
Harbaugh gives the Giants something they haven’t had in some time: a proven commodity at the top.
Since Tom Coughlin stepped down after the 2015 season, three of the last four full-time hires by the organization have been first-time head coaches. Only Pat Shurmur, who previously oversaw the Cleveland Browns prior to his two-year stint in the top job in New York, had previous experience at that level.
Harbaugh also gives New York a chance at establishing some stability. At 63, he’s second only to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid in age among active coaches. But he was the second-longest-tenured coach prior to his ouster, and none of the three coaches prior to Brian Daboll − who was fired in November midway through his fourth season − lasted more than two years with the organization.
Harbaugh, who only had three losing seasons in 18 years with the Ravens, will look to transform the fortunes of a franchise that is tied with the New York Jets for the fewest wins of any team since 2017 with 44.
Among his most important tasks will be to forge a relationship with quarterback Jaxson Dart, who showed promise as a rookie but also missed two games with a concussion.
General manager Joe Schoen singled out Dart’s trajectory as a key factor in the hire.
‘Player development is very important, having a plan for player development,’ Schoen said in a Jan. 5 news conference. ‘We have a young quarterback. It’s going to be important that there’s a plan in terms of Jaxson’s development, holding people accountable, and communication. There’s a lot that goes into the head coach that can fall under that leadership element, but those are some of the characteristics that we’re going to be looking for in the next head coach.’
Who will the Giants offensive coordinator be?
The Giants have not officially announced who their offensive coordinator will be under Harbaugh. However, Todd Monken considered the ‘early leader’ for the role, per multiple reports.
Monken spent the last three seasons as Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator with the Ravens. The 59-year-old helped Lamar Jackson win the 2023 NFL MVP as part of his attacking, vertical passing offense while the team ranked No. 1 in offensive EPA per play under his watch during the 2024 NFL season, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
The Ravens had more of an up-and-down offensive campaign in 2025 as Jackson battled injuries, but Monken remained a coveted commodity after the Ravens fired Harbaugh and his staff. He interviewed for the Browns’ head coaching job and has also received coordinator interest from the Buccaneers.
Highest-paid NFL coaches
Below is a full look at the 10 highest-paid NFL coaches from the 2025 campaign, according to Sportico:
- 1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs: $20 million
- 2. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos: $18 million
- 3. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens: $17 million
- T-4. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers: $16 million
- T-4. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers: $16 million
- T-6. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams: $15 million
- T-6. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles: $15 million
- T-8. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers: $14 million
- T-8. Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots: $14 million
- T-10. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears: $13 million
- T-10. Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings: $13 million