Developing Trend Offers Hope for Giants to Go from Worst to First in 2026

For the New York Giants, the team has rarely used the word “postseason” in their vernacular, especially since they last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy and stood atop the National Football League landscape back in 2011.

Even this past season, there was a feeling leading into it that the franchise might have had enough good talent to hang around the fringe of the dance or at least remain relevant until the bitter end of the 2025 campaign.

Sadly, that belief didn’t hold up in what ended as an underwhelming 4-13 stint, which really felt like the Giants legitimately won just two of those games.

As they look forward to next year, is there reason to believe that the trend of playing meaningless football in December and early January will finally come to a halt?

ESPN NFL analysts Jeremy Fowler and Aaron Schatz believe the Giants are poised for a significant turnaround in 2026, suggesting that hiring the right head coach could be the catalyst for returning to the postseason.

Their prediction is based on the belief that bringing in a proven leader as head coach can rapidly transform the fortunes of struggling teams, as demonstrated last season.

“The Year 1 spike due to a top-shelf coach is a proven formula that worked last season for New England's Mike Vrabel, Chicago's Ben Johnson and Jacksonville's Liam Coen,” Fowler said.

“John Harbaugh hopes to have a similar impact, and New York's roster is on the upswing. A few savvy additions this offseason would make the Giants contenders.”

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh during his time with the Ravens. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Anytime one looks at an organization that hasn’t won more than six games in the past three seasons, it's hard to fathom them jolting right back to the football mountaintop based on one big move, such as the guy picked to lead the team there, John Harbaugh.

But as Fowler points out, we saw firsthand how important a proven or innovative head coach can be in shaping the trajectory of a downtrodden team looking to return to the postseason.

All three of the places he listed made their big hires last spring and went on to win their divisions and make some noise in the postseason.

The Patriots, who placed their trust in the hands of a successful former player and tone-setter in Mike Vrabel, went from a 4-win team in 2023 and 2024 to knocking on the doorstep of capturing a Super Bowl title a little over a week ago.

Like those same franchises, the Giants were not a group bereft of talent. They had a promising young quarterback in Jaxson Dart who showed flashes of his strong arm and fearless rushing ability. These strengths helped spark their incomplete offense from the basement to No. 17 in scoring and 13 in total yards.

On the defensive end, the Giants chose to stake their claim behind a boosted defensive front. This front was supposed to be headlined by a tireless and gifted pass rush that could get after the opposing quarterback and create some chaos at the line of scrimmage.

The team’s coaching, more than personnel, caused the glaring issue, especially since the players often performed well enough in several games to secure wins in the high-pressure fourth quarter.

Instead, the Giants had a bunch of late-game collapses that began to put the heat on former head coach Brian Daboll and his staff, who saw numerous members exit the building before the season ended, as playcalling and schemes dealt their final fate.

That’s why Harbaugh was the Giants key target the minute he was let go by the Baltimore Ravens.

They wanted to lure him to East Rutherford because of his winning pedigree, resume for stability, and the respect and commitment he would demand and receive from the players under his wing.

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Harbaugh’s job won’t be as easy as the other top-shelf head coaches who’ve now nestled themselves into the fabric of the organizations they’re a part of.

He first had to get all the players in the building to buy into his program and vision for the franchise's trajectory, which is set to have high aspirations in 2026.

The Giants brass must also figure out how to clog up the holes or potential ones in the roster, as they don’t have the same benefit of immense cap space as, say, the Patriots have had for Vrabel, and that brought in top veterans that ignited their amazing run to the Super Bowl.

A couple of key figures, such as Malik Nabers and Andrew Thomas, have to return to the gridiron fully healthy and ready to pick up where they left off.

Even when they weren’t available, the Giants found enough talent within their ranks, led by Dart and his competitive drive, to remain in most of their games that went in the other direction.

Ultimately, the Giants' lack of success was due to the absence of the right leadership and effective schemes.

With Harbaugh's arrival, they have a tangible opportunity to restore the franchise's winning ways and meet analysts' expectations for a rapid turnaround.

Not to mention, in a division that the analysts pointed out isn’t all that impossible to capture next season, with internal drama and turnover impacting the other three locker rooms in their NFC East circle.

“The Giants will take a big leap, going from worst to first thanks to the coaching of John Harbaugh, the return of wide receiver Malik Nabers, and steps forward from quarterback Jaxson Dart and edge rusher Abdul Carter in Year 2,” Schatz said.

“It's not as big a leap as you might think, as their underlying play-by-play performance last season suggested a 7-10 team instead of a 4-13 unit.”