The Giants took significant strides in deciding to pursue, and ultimately land, John Harbaugh as their next head coach. The move required the acceptance that things hadn’t been working for quite a while and that bringing in someone from a company that is understood for its stability could unlock the secrets to success, even when meant breaking a couple of eggs. Several eggs were broken today, as Harbaugh began the means of letting go of any coaches he doesn’t intend to hold with him on his first staff in Latest York.
Per Ryan Dunleavy of NY Post Sports, this included a majority of the defensive staff. Defensive position coach Andre Patterson, inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu, defensive backs caoch/pass game coordinator Marquand Manuel, and cornerbacks coach Jeff Burris were all told today that they wouldn’t be returning for the 2026 campaign. Aside from the defense, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reported that special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial was also told to clean out his office.
The one remaining position coach on the defensive side of the ball is Charlie Bullen, who served as outside linebackers coach before being named interim defensive coordinator for the team’s final five games of the season. Bullen will probably be the just one who gets a probability to return to his position group, headlined by stars Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter. In keeping with Connor Hughes of SportsNet Latest York, Bullen is open to returning under the brand new defensive coordinator, but “several teams are circling him” with hopes of poaching. Even the rival Cowboys interviewed him for his or her open DC position.
Throughout the day, Harbaugh held face-to-face meetings with incumbent assistants under contract for next 12 months, though a few of the dismissed staffers didn’t get to make their case to the brand new head coach. Those coaches were informed by general manager Joe Schoen that they were “not a part of Harbaugh’s plans and free to look elsewhere.” Per separate reports from Hughes and Raanan, Bullen and Patterson were the 2 in-person meetings; Patterson coached through the 2025 season as he handled prostate cancer.
Not one of the moves were major surprises — that’s, until Ian Rapoport dropped the bomb that senior vice chairman of football operations and strategy Kevin Abrams had been let go, setting off a sequence of stunned reactions from the local beat reporters. Abrams had been a respected worker of Big Blue since 1999, spanning 4 general managers and even serving as an interim fifth GM in 2017.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Abrams was a key contributor on negotiating contracts and, per FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, was once considered the GM-in-waiting behind Dave Gettleman before Gettleman’s tenure got here to an abrupt end. At any time when Schoen got here in to exchange Gettleman, Abrams took a backseat to permit for a smooth transition and even took an additional step back in order that Brandon Brown could are available in as assistant general manager, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Though several reporters’ reactions confirmed it, it was Hughes who voiced that Abrams was seemingly “untouchable for nearly every Giants regime.”
While the reactions were those of shock, all appeared to be on the identical page that these moves are obligatory in an effort to elevate out of the pitfalls of the past. Harbaugh’s hiring, including the times of debate about reporting roles, was designed to impress a departure from “bad organizational habits,” per Pat Leonard of NY Every day News. Leonard claims Harbaugh “must act quickly and harshly to dismantle the Giants’ toxicity.” Leonard’s fiery rhetoric continued with phrases like “half measures won’t do,” “ripped out at the basis,” “there could be no delay,” and “no protection of tenured employees for the sake of relationships.”
While softer language conveyed the message from other accounts, the message itself was clear. Leonard argued that Harbaugh could have toed the party line and moved unwanted personnel to positions of less importance but that might just proceed the cycle of politics. As a substitute, Harbaugh is taking the initiative to make the moves obligatory to enact actual change within the constructing. More shocking changes could stand up on the horizon, as well.
To fill out the brand new holes on the defensive staff, Harbaugh took the apparent initial route of requesting interviews with several of his former staffers in Baltimore, simply to be blocked by his former team. Though team owner Steve Bisciotti implied sweeping coaching changes in the longer term, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the manager continues to be acting within the Ravens’ best interests and giving the eventual latest head coach first dibs at the fellows still under contract in Baltimore.
Dunleavy points out that a worst-case scenario could see Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter named head coach of the Ravens. In keeping with senior NFL insider Josina Anderson, Minter concluded his in-person, second-round interview with the team today, and Dunleavy asserts that, attributable to Minter’s prior history on the Ravens’ coaching staff, he could also be one in all the few head coaching options to disclaim Harbaugh a probability to interview the defensive staffers that Minter will probably want to retain.