The Giants got their man, and the Jets likely don’t have theirs.
With his contract expected to be finalized over the weekend, John Harbaugh will be introduced as the Giants’ head coach Tuesday. It will be a move well worth coming after the Giants’ failure with four straight coordinators at the helm after Tom Coughlin.
Hiring Harbaugh doesn’t guarantee instant success, as he has plenty to clean up. Yet, he has a young nucleus in place with Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, Cam Scattebo, Wan’Dale Robinson, Abdul Carter, and Brian Burns. We have to be anxious to see what Scattebo can do for a full season after he went down after just nine games.
The Giants finally did the right thing by hiring an established coach, and there is a treasure trove out there.
Harbaugh also has the luxury of the fifth overall pick in the draft that should land them Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who can help tighten the secondary.
While the Giants appear headed on an upward swing, the Jets are on the downward swing of the pendulum.
It starts with owner Woody Johnson.
Johnson had the opportunity to fire Aaron Glenn after one season, and hire an experienced coach like Harbaugh and either Mike McCarthy, Kevin Stefanski, Brian Flores, Matt Nagy, and Kliff Kingsbury.
Johnson made the mistake of singing Glenn – whose defenses were below average – in Detroit – to a five-year deal, $50 million deal. Now, Johnson is looking at the figurative 50 million mistakes after year one. Glenn’s defense didn’t have an interception and just four takeaways.
There was a consensus to give Glenn another chance, especially with the five first-rounders in the next two years.
No, Glenn should have been fired. Maybe the Jets would have had trouble hiring a high-profile head coach, but the Jets should have tried. A $15-million- plus paycheck would have helped.
Mike Tomlin is under contract next year, and the Jets should tap every resource and use anything they can to sign him for the 2027 season. Or maybe Glenn will turn it around?
Right now, I doubt it.
It literally is a brand-spanking new year for Giants’ fans.
It’s also a new year for Jets’ fans..and well..it’s the same old Jets.
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