There are oh-so-many decisions for an NFL head coach, and John Harbaugh makes more than his share of them — considering how aggressively the Giants pursued him, how gleeful they were after hiring him to a five-year, $100 million contract, and how much control over a wide range of operations he was given.
Contrary to what some outside might think, though, Harbaugh does not call all the shots all the time, when it comes to the inner workings of the franchise.
He is in charge of so much of the football, but he is not also the general manager and he was not the one to give the final yea or nay for Joe Schoen’s contract extension.
That was a decision ultimately made by ownership — with input from Harbaugh, of course.
“They asked me if I liked Joe, and I thought he did a good job, and I said, ‘Yeah,’” Harbaugh said Wednesday. “It’s the decision of the people I respect — I respect the ownership group. It’s their call, and that’s their call, and they made it, and I respect it. I think it’s a good decision. I agree with it, but I think that’s good. I’m excited.”
Harbaugh and Schoen did not really know each other before they were united with the Giants. Schoen was entering the final year of a five-year deal he signed before the 2022 season.
Despite the struggles of the team, especially the past two seasons, ownership gave Schoen a multiyear extension — citing the young players on the roster, led by quarterback Jaxson Dart.
It appeared as if Schoen and Harbaugh quickly forged a strong working relationship.
“I was happy,” Harbaugh said of Schoen’s extension. “He’s a good guy. Enjoy working with him and looking forward to what we all can do together. That’s a good thing.”
Harbaugh said WR Malik Nabers, still rehabbing from major knee reconstruction, will be working out at the Giants’ facility during this break for the players.
“He said his plan is to be here most of the time, almost all the time he’ll be here, I believe,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t think he will be here all the time. He’s going to be here a lot working really hard. He’s making really good progress right now. I’m very hopeful that he’ll be back soon.”
After a walk-through that Harbaugh described as “more of a mental sweat type of practice” the offseason program came to an end. The players now have seven weeks off before the start of training camp.
The first practice at the Greenbrier, a historic luxury resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., is scheduled for July 29. This out-of-town camp is not the brainchild of Harbaugh. Renovations to the team facility and the massive infrastructure spillover from the World Cup games at MetLife Stadium made it impossible for the Giants to stay home for the first two weeks of camp this summer.
