For a moment, however brief, it appeared that the Cleveland Browns and GM Andrew Berry were in the arena for the biggest name currently on the NFL head-coaching market, as there was reported mutual interest in John Harbaugh, the veteran head coach and Super Bowl champ who was fired by the Ravens last week. Alas, that mutual interest was fleeting, if it really existed at all.
Harbaugh met with the Giants in person on Wednesday and interviewed him for the position left vacant by Brian Daboll, who was fired in November following a 2-8 start to the season. Harbaugh went 180-113 in 18 seasons in Baltimore, but was let go after the Ravens failed to make the playoffs for only the second time since 2017.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on Twitter/X on Wednesday: “The deal is not final and contract numbers still are being negotiated. ‘There still is a lot to work through,’ one source said. But barring any setbacks, Harbaugh is ready to accept the Giants’ deal and the Giants are expected to hire him as soon as possible, per sources.”
Bad State of the Browns Reflected by John Harbaugh Pick
There are conflicting reports as to whether, exactly, Harbaugh is fully committed to the Giants, which leaves a glimmer of hope that the Browns can still enter the fray. But the problem is that the Browns apparently are not even on Harbaugh’s list for consideration, as the other teams he is reportedly meeting with include the Titans and Falcons.
Consider that the Browns are 8-26 over the past two years, but the Giants are 7-27 and the Titans are 6-28. That means Harbaugh was willing to consider–and it appears accept–a job from the only two teams who have been worse than the Browns in the past two seasons. The Falcons have been a bit better, but it is an organization that has been running backwards, and has not gone to the playoffs despite being in a perennially weak division since 2017.
Even if the Browns were not going to hire Harbaugh, the fact that he never truly considered them is a devastating condemnation of the state of the franchise and the roster.
GettyJohn Harbaugh and the New York Giants are officially finalizing a deal to make him their new head coach, according to reports. He never even met with the Cleveland Browns.
John Harbaugh Likely Saw Lack of Quarterback a Killer for Browns
It does not take Vince Lombardi to figure out the difference between what the Browns can offer Harbaugh and what other sad-sack teams like the Giants, Titans and to a lesser extent, the Falcons can offer Harbaugh: a quarterback.
The Browns’ misery when it comes to finding a quarterback is well-documented, and their swings on third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders in last year’s draft obviously did not impress Harbaugh much. Maybe there’s some promise around Sanders, but the cold fact is that he was rated the No. 39 quarterback at Pro Football Focus, out of the 39 they graded this year.
Dillon Gabriel was No. 38.
That Much-Hyped Draft Class Did Not Address Needs
The Titans, meanwhile, have 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward on board (he was No. 37, by the way). The Giants have rookie Jaxson Dart, who invigorated the team with his ability despite the poor record, on board. Dart was the No. 25 pick in the 2025 draft, acquired when the Giants traded into that spot for him–in other words, he was eminently obtainable by the Browns.
As much praise as Berry has gotten for the performance of the team’s 2025 draft class, the fact is, he failed to bring in a quality quarterback or offensive lineman, the two spots the Browns absolutely needed to fill.
The Falcons have Michael Penix, who has struggled to stay healthy and tow in games. The Falcons were 3-6 in his starts this season, but 5-3 with Kirk Cousins.
Browns Receive Devastating News on Coaching Search