4 Staples of New Giants Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy's Offense

John Harbaugh has named his offensive coordinator for the New York Giants: Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.

When looking into what the offense might look like under Nagy, it’s important to remember that he was not the play-caller in Kansas City. But although Andy Reid called the plays for the Chiefs, there are still ways to examine the influence Nagy had on the offense, as well as from his days as the Chicago Bears head coach.

For some fans, they will be unable to get those horrible Chicago Bears offenses out of their minds.

Other fans will be able to convince themselves that this second stint under Reid, as well as the failed Bears tenure, will serve as learning experiences to build on.

One of Nagy's biggest responsibilities will be developing quarterback Jaxson Dart, who is coming off an impressive rookie season. Still, the offensive scheme Nagy plans on bringing is just as important.

So what are some of the staples we should look for in the 2026 version of the Giants' offense?

Run-Pass Option

Is New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart a good fit for Matt Nagy? | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The one thing that most analysts keep coming back to with Nagy is the RPO.

The run-pass option, as its name suggests, allows the offense to enter the play without a clear plan, treating it instead as an “if/then” situation.

Oftentimes, the receiver(s) will run a short route, usually a screen, slant, quick out, or go route. There is usually a designated “conflict defender” for the quarterback to read. The quarterback takes the snap, and the conflict defender causes the if/then.

For example, if the conflict defender is a linebacker who comes in to play the run, then the quarterback would throw it.

If the conflict defender plays coverage, the quarterback can hand off.

There are also RPO variations that give the quarterback a third option: keep the ball himself. This has become known as a modern-day triple option: the QB can hand it off or keep it, and if he keeps it, he can then throw to a screen receiver.

In 2025, the Chiefs ran 142 RPO plays, second-most in the NFL.

The 114 RPOs that Patrick Mahomes was part of, before tearing his ACL, were a career high.

Dart, coming from Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss system, has experience running RPOs at a high level, even with the volume that he used them.

The big difference between Dart in college and the NFL with RPOs is that he needs to make decisions more quickly on them, because in college, offensive linemen can go further downfield without drawing a penalty.

Pre-Snap Motion

How much did Matt Nagy learn under Andy Reid? | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With a focus on making reads easier for the quarterback, Giants fans can expect to see pre-snap motion frequently.

Whether it was the Chiefs under Reid or the Bears under Nagy, pre-snap motion was used frequently to help diagnose the defense.

Quarterbacks can identify man or zone coverage more easily if an outside receiver, for example, goes in motion across the formation and his outside cornerback follows him.

If the cornerback doesn’t follow him, and the defense shifts over or doesn’t react at all, it’s likely zone coverage.

That motion can help a quarterback know where he should look first to find the easiest completion available or if there’s an opportunity for a big play.

Pre-snap motion can also be used to generate a quick completion to a receiver.

Defenders typically don’t press receivers after the snap when there’s motion because it’s much harder to time their strike and hit a moving target that has momentum already.

That allows a jet motion, for example, to lead to a quick completion in the flat with a catch-and-run opportunity.

Screens

There has never been, and will never be, a better screen operator than Andy Reid.

Nagy can do his best to try to replicate what Reid teaches his players, though.

While many think that running a screen play is simple, it’s actually quite complex to teach and requires repetition to master.

Offensive linemen need to sell the pass or run just long enough to get defenders into coverage and then leak out to lead block for a back, receiver, or tight end.

Quarterbacks need to be able to make the throw despite knowing defenders are making free runs at them.

When Nagy was at the helm for Chicago and had Mitch Trubisky as his quarterback, screens were a vital part of the offense, with 13.1% of his dropbacks being screens, the fifth-highest rate among qualifiers.

That frequency dropped when Justin Fields took over, but that was likely more because the offense needed to cater to Fields’ skill set rather than any mental shift on Nagy's part.

Mahomes had the fourth-highest screen rate among qualifiers during the 2025 regular season at 13.3% of his passes.

Dual-Threat Running Backs

New York Giants RB Tyrone Tracy should be a good scheme fit for new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Everywhere Nagy has gone, running backs have been asked to contribute as legitimate pass-catching options.

When Nagy was with the Bears, David Montgomery was a key part of the passing attack - finishing third on the team in receptions in 2020 and 2021.

In 2019, Tarik Cohen finished with 79 catches, fourth-most for a running back in the NFL behind only Christian McCaffrey, Austin Ekeler, and Alvin Kamara.

In 2018, Cohen led the Bears in receptions with 71, tied for fifth-most amongst running backs.

Tyrone Tracy’s experience as a former wide receiver will likely open the door for him to play a much bigger role as a pass-catcher in 2026.

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Run-Pass Option

Pre-Snap Motion

Screens

Dual-Threat Running Backs

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