The New York Giants handing the keys to the kingdom to new head coach John Harbaugh might make struggling incumbent general manager Joe Shoen nothing more than a figurehead, but the man in charge of the front office isn’t worried about the reach of Harbaugh’s authority.
In fact, Schoen sees reports Harbaugh will have “final say” on major decisions as nothing more than “just something that’s on a piece of paper. Doesn’t matter.” That’s what he told reporters, including NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, on Tuesday, January 20.
Schoen made clear how “everywhere I’ve been the head coach and general manager work together. That’s the only way it’s gonna work. Get on the same page, go through the process. Again, we’ve done it everywhere I’ve been, so I’m not worried about it.”
The fact Schoen is already having to answer questions of this nature shows the media senses a potential point of conflict. A possible sticking point that may pit a decorated head coach with a Super Bowl-winning CV and a lucrative new contract against an embattled team-builder viewed by many as part of the problems the Giants hired Harbaugh to fix.
Schoen needs a boost to his credibility, so he’ll be happy to hear some telling words from ownership about how things will actually work between coach and GM.
Giants Ownership Gives Joe Schoen Reason for Optimism
Chris Mara, brother of team owner John Mara, who is dealing will illness, sought to clear up any confusion about who will be the deciding factor in personnel decisions this season. As the owner put it, “[Harbaugh] doesn’t have final say. It’s collaborative. He’s the first to admit that. If he had final say with everything in the building, he wouldn’t be able to do his job. “So he’s gonna be the most important cog in the wheel. Let’s put it that way,” per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
“So he’s gonna be the most important cog in the wheel. Let’s put it that way.”
All the right people are saying all the right things about collaboration, but it’s still hard to believe Schoen’s authority hasn’t been eroded by Harbaugh’s arrival. For some, that’s the way it should be after Schoen’s overseen a mostly disastrous four-season run since joining the Giants in 2022.
Missteps in free agency and the draft, particularly decisions regarding two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley and offensive tackle Evan Neal, have left Schoen without much credit.
It may have been former head coach Brian Daboll who paid the price for three-straight double-digit losing campaigns. Yet, as Dan Duggan of The Athletic wrote on December 3, “There’s no defending the team the fourth-year Giants general manager has assembled.” Duggan also stated “Schoen’s idea of learning from mistakes has been reactionary overcorrections.”
That’s strong criticism and perhaps why Harbaugh wanted assurances on exactly the level of say he will have in how the next roster is built.
John Harbaugh Wants Control
Harbaugh delayed signing his contract over who he will ultimately be reporting to, so it’s a safe bet control matters to the 63-year-old. The Giants are certainly paying the coaching veteran like he’s going to have the final say on the decisions that count.
Duggan’s colleague Ian O’Connor revealed, the “Giants showed good faith by starting talks with an $18.5 million offer for Year 1 – $13 million north of Daboll – & moved from there to $20 million AAV + bonuses.”
That’s the kind of money commensurate with making all the big calls about personnel, staffing, free-agency strategy and draft policy. How this dynamic will sit with Schoen is unclear, but it’s hard to believe any general manager would welcome potentially having his head coach go around him to the owner if things don’t go his way.
Giants GM Speaks Out About John Harbaugh ‘Final Say’ Reports