It hasn’t taken very long for John Harbaugh to make changes to the New York Giants.
The Giants signed Harbaugh to a five-year deal that’s worth around $100 million. Unlike other head coaches in the NFL, he won’t have to report directly to his general manager. He made sure his contract stated that he’ll report directly to ownership. Reporters asked him about the language in his contract during his introductory press conference.
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“To me it’s really not that important in the big picture, in the big scheme of things. I think it’s kind of overblown in terms of how it works,” Harbaugh said. “But the main thing is that it works and we work together. That’s kind of what I was used to and it felt like a good way to start off. I think we’re all going to work together. I promise you, we all report to the boss. And the boss is ownership.”
Harbaugh said the right things at his introductory press conference, but let’s not kid ourselves about his role with the Giants. In order for him to accept their head coaching job, he needed a bit more power than what Brian Daboll had from 2022-2025.
It was reported Wednesday night that Kevin Abrams, the senior vice president of football operations and strategy, was let go. He’s been with the Giants since 1999 and was a mainstay through a handful of regimes.
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According to the Giants, Abrams was responsible for “strategic planning related to football operations, data and innovation, managing the salary cap, negotiating player contracts [and] compliance with the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.” Harbaugh will most likely fill that role with an executive he trusts.
Jan 20, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; John Harbaugh poses after the press conference announcing his hiring as the next New York Giants head coach at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images© Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.
(© Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.)More changes for the Giants.
On Thursday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that longtime head athletics trainer Ronnie Barnes will take on a different role with the Giants. His job will most likely be replaced by someone with ties to Harbaugh.
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SNY’s Connor Hughes, meanwhile, said the “vast majority” of the defensive coaches on the Giants have been fired by Harbaugh. The team’s interim defensive coordinator from the 2025 regular season, Charlie Bullen, could return as an assistant.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Giants look under a proven winner in Harbaugh.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jan 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.