Negotiations between New York Giants, John Harbaugh 'got dicey' before hire

Story byDan Benton, Giants WireSun, January 18, 2026 at 11:31 AM UTC·1 min readThe New York Giants' hiring of John Harbaugh as head coach nearly faltered amid tense negotiations, with veteran reporter Ian O'Connor revealing that talks "got a little dicey" on Friday night. O'Connor reports that Harbaugh expressed uncertainty that things would get done. The delay stemmed from a reported internal power struggle over personnel control. Harbaugh sought significant roster and staffing input, clashing with the Giants' traditional way of conducting business. Additional reports indicated Harbaugh wanted concessions, including potential changes to long-tenured staff and reporting to ownership and not general manager Joe Schoen. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThroughout the process, NFL insiders and beat reporters repeatedly assured fans that holdups were merely contractual language being hashed out by lawyers, dismissing concerns as overreactions.