A reunion with preferred offensive coordinator Todd Monken seemed inevitable for John Harbaugh, but the new head coach of the New York Giants is still clear about what he wants after Monken instead chose to take the top job with the Cleveland Browns, and what Harbaugh wants from his next OC has a lot to do with what he wants from young quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Speaking on “The Howard Eskin Show,” Harbaugh explained, starting at the 27:07 mark, that he doesn’t “want a one system guy, who has his fit and you’ve got to build all the players to fit ‘my system.’ I want a guy that can look at our players and say, ‘okay,’ because Jaxson Dart can live in different worlds. He can be under center, he can play action, he can drop back in the gun, he can run the RPOs — I like all the different things he can do, so I want to have a coach that reflects that ability that he has.”
Those are telling remarks from Harbaugh because they emphasize his intention to make Dart’s development his top priority. It’s the natural starting point for the new Giants boss and also explains why Harbaugh was apparently so keen to have Monken follow him to MetLife Stadium from the Baltimore Ravens.
Monken spent the last three seasons trying to take two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson’s game to an even higher level. The dual-threat quarterback often responded well, but recent rumors of discontent with Monken could make Harbaugh having to pivot a lucky escape for the Giants.
Fortunately, more than one QB-centric candidate has already emerged as viable options to calls plays for Dart next season.
Giants May Have Dodged Todd Monken Problem
Losing their top choice to replace outgoing former coordinator Mike Kakfa needn’t be a hammer blow for the Giants. Not when Monken’s had to rebuff suggestions he didn’t always mesh with Jackson.
A comfortable working relationship between Dart and his next OC will be vital if the Giants are going to develop the first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft into a franchise signal-caller.
It will be equally important that whoever designs the playbook for 2026 draws up a balanced scheme to aid Dart’s maturation in the pros. Balance is something Monken often failed to achieve with the Ravens, when there were occasions he got too pass-heavy calling plays.
The Giants need Dart to progress as a passer, but the best way to unleash his full skill-set at a steady rate will be within a heathy run-pass mix. Putting that mixture together could become the job of somebody who knows Dart well, or else one of two coaches familiar with the challenges of playing football’s most important position.
John Harbaugh Following Jaxson Dart Plan for OC Search
Harbaugh placing the onus on how the next coordinator schemes plays for Dart is more than mere talk. The Giants are putting the plan into action by interviewing Dart’s former QB coach at Ole Miss, the son of an assistant coach who won a Super Bowl with Big Blue.
Intent on performing a thorough search, Harbaugh will also speak with an ex-backup quarterback for the Giants. One whose most recent claim to fame is helping a certain Daniel Jones revive his career, before injury struck, with the Indianapolis Colts.
There’s even room for another one-time QB for the Giants in the mix of would-be coordinators. A rising star in the coaching ranks who’s considered something of a guru at the position.
The theme here is obvious. Harbaugh wants a coordinator who thinks about the quarterback first, knows the demands of the role and builds accordingly.
It’s just what Dart will need in his second season.
Giants HC Makes Jaxson Dart Demand After Todd Monken Snub