Jeff Burris

The Giants took significant strides in deciding to pursue, and ultimately land, John Harbaugh as their next head coach. The move required the acceptance that things hadn’t been working for quite some time and that bringing in someone from an organization that is known for its stability could unlock the secrets to success, even if meant breaking a few eggs. Several eggs were broken today, as Harbaugh began the process of letting go of any coaches he doesn’t intend to carry with him on his first staff in New York.

Per Ryan Dunleavy of NY Post Sports, this included a majority of the defensive staff. Defensive line coach Andre Patterson, inside linebackers coach John Egorugwu, defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator Marquand Manuel, and cornerbacks coach Jeff Burris were all told today that they wouldn’t be returning for the 2026 campaign. Apart from the defense, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reported that special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial was also told to clean out his office.

The only remaining position coach on the defensive side of the ball is Charlie Bullen, who served as outside linebackers coach before being named interim defensive coordinator for the team’s final five games of the season. Bullen will be the only one who gets a chance to return to his position group, headlined by stars Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter. According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, Bullen is open to returning under the new defensive coordinator, but “several teams are circling him” with hopes of poaching. Even the rival Cowboys interviewed him for their open DC position.

Throughout the day, Harbaugh held face-to-face meetings with incumbent assistants under contract for next year, though some of the dismissed staffers didn’t get to make their case to the new head coach. Those coaches were informed by general manager Joe Schoen that they were “not part of Harbaugh’s plans and free to look elsewhere.” Per separate reports from Hughes and Raanan, Bullen and Patterson were the two in-person meetings; Patterson coached through the 2025 season as he dealt with prostate cancer.

None of the moves were major surprises — that is, until Ian Rapoport dropped the bomb that senior vice president of football operations and strategy Kevin Abrams had been let go, setting off a chain of stunned reactions from the local beat reporters. Abrams had been a respected employee of Big Blue since 1999, spanning four general managers and even serving as an interim fifth GM in 2017.

Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Abrams was a key contributor on negotiating contracts and, per FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, was once considered the GM-in-waiting behind Dave Gettleman before Gettleman’s tenure came to an abrupt end. Whenever Schoen came in to replace Gettleman, Abrams took a backseat to allow for a smooth transition and even took a further step back so that Brandon Brown could come in as assistant general manager, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Though several reporters’ reactions confirmed it, it was Hughes who voiced that Abrams was seemingly “untouchable for just about every Giants regime.”

While the reactions were those of shock, all seemed to be on the same page that these moves are necessary in order to elevate out of the pitfalls of the past. Harbaugh’s hiring, including the days of discussion about reporting roles, was designed to provoke a departure from “bad organizational habits,” per Pat Leonard of NY Daily News. Leonard claims Harbaugh “must act quickly and harshly to dismantle the Giants’ toxicity.” Leonard’s fiery rhetoric continued with phrases like “half measures will not do,” “ripped out at the root,” “there can be no delay,” and “no protection of tenured employees for the sake of relationships.”

While softer language conveyed the message from other accounts, the message itself was clear. Leonard argued that Harbaugh could have toed the party line and moved unwanted personnel to positions of less importance but that would just continue the cycle of politics. Instead, Harbaugh is taking the initiative to make the moves necessary to enact actual change in the building. More shocking changes could rise up on the horizon, as well.

To fill out the new holes on the defensive staff, Harbaugh took the obvious initial route of requesting interviews with several of his former staffers in Baltimore, just to be blocked by his former team. Though team owner Steve Bisciotti implied sweeping coaching changes in the future, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the executive is still acting in the Ravens’ best interests and giving the eventual new head coach first dibs at the guys still under contract in Baltimore.

Dunleavy points out that a worst-case scenario could see Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter named head coach of the Ravens. According to senior NFL insider Josina Anderson, Minter concluded his in-person, second-round interview with the team today, and Dunleavy asserts that, due to Minter’s prior history on the Ravens’ coaching staff, he may be one of the few head coaching options to deny Harbaugh a chance to interview the defensive staffers that Minter may want to retain.