The hiring of John Harbaugh as head coach in 2026 was seen as the most promising decision for the New York Giants. The team needed a complete overhaul, a fresh strategy, and leadership capable of turning the franchise around. It was not just about bringing in a new leader but also improving their track record in the NFL Draft and securing victories during regular season games.

Harbaugh’s impressive history in the league brings a sense of stability that the Giants’ owners, the Maras and Tisches, have been desperately seeking. His leadership could be the cornerstone of the franchise’s revival.

However, a significant focus of the Giants’ coaching search was the development of their franchise quarterback, Jaxson Dart. In the NFL, a team’s success often hinges on how far its quarterback can lead them, making Dart’s progression a top priority.

Complications arose when Harbaugh’s primary choice for offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, accepted the head coaching position with the Cleveland Browns. This unexpected turn on Wednesday has introduced uncertainty about the immediate strategy for nurturing Dart’s potential and how the Giants plan to address this crucial aspect moving forward.

Every NFL team only goes as far as its QB is able to take them.

And when Harbaugh’s Plan A for offensive coordinator fell through on Wednesday, with Todd Monken taking the Cleveland Browns’ head coaching job, it created uncertainty about how the Giants will accomplish that for Dart in the short term.

The Giants have faith in Harbaugh to build a strong staff, of course. The problem is that New York was not engaged in any sweeping search of OC candidates to this point, because Monken to the Giants was viewed largely as a foregone conclusion.

So now Harbaugh and the Giants must enter late into the sweepstakes for a new OC with some candidates off the board, including former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who just took the Los Angeles Chargers job working for Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, and coaching Justin Herbert.

New Miami Dolphins OC Bobby Slowik and new Lions OC Drew Petzing also could have been contenders in the Giants’ search but now are already set in their new roles. Former Giants OC and interim head coach Mike Kafka is gone to a non-playcalling offensive assistant role with Detroit, as well.

And now the Giants are competing with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Baltimore Ravens and the Jets due to the unexpected timeline of this search.

Harbaugh might have been the best head coaching fit for the Giants, but if they’d gone with Kevin Stefanski or Mike McCarthy instead, they wouldn’t have to worry about scrambling to find the man to coach their quarterback.

Their head coach would have been that guy. So this is the risk of prioritizing a “CEO” head coach over an offensive specialist or play-caller.

That doesn’t mean they won’t find an offensive coordinator who is a great fit.

Kliff Kingsbury, the former Washington Commanders OC, is the most intriguing available candidate based on Jayden Daniels’ rookie year run to the NFC Championship Game in 2024.

Travis Switzer, the Ravens’ run game coordinator, feels like the most likely hire if Harbaugh chooses a coach who brings both familiarity and a resume that appeals to Dart’s dual-threat skill set.

Dart is making it known internally that he supports Charlie Weis Jr., his former Ole Miss OC who is now under contract at LSU. And Alex Tanney, the former Giants backup quarterback and Colts passing game coordinator, entered the mix on Thursday as a real possibility.

Lunda Wells, the Dallas Cowboys tight ends coach, also deserves a close look.

When names like Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter started getting connected to the Giants’ OC vacancy, though, it’s time to wonder where exactly the Giants’ search is actually going to land — and what impact it will have on Dart’s critical second pro season.

Not only would Cooter’s hiring be an uninspiring pivot; counting on him or Tanney feels like it could end up being just as risky as hoping for Broncos quarterback coach Davis Webb.

None of these coaches’ interviews, updates and hirings or firings happen in a vacuum. Everything has a ripple effect. And the dominoes sometimes fall quickly and leave teams on the outside looking in.

Webb, for example, has been interviewing for head coaching vacancies. While he’s been interviewing, Broncos head coach Sean Payton fired Denver offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi coming off a trip to the AFC Championship Game.

The Giants would be right to covet Webb, but that situation looks like Payton fired Lombardi so he can promote Webb to offensive coordinator in Denver once he fails to land a head coaching job.

That would take one candidate off the board. Then look at the pair of Colts coaches.

Cooter is considered a serious candidate in Philly, where the Eagles are casting a wide net that appears to have a couple holes in it.

Tanney’s name coming up on Thursday could mean he has a real chance at coming to New York. Or it could just be creating leverage for Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen to promote Tanney as Daniel Jones’ OC in Indy once Cooter bolts for the City of Brotherly Love.

That would take another candidate off the board.

What Giants fans should be rooting for is for the Ravens to hire someone other than Kingsbury.

The Maras and Tiches have full trust in Harbaugh to find the right man after failing to deliver Monken. But there are questions right now about where this search will land and what it will mean for Dart.

And although this is not a game that will show up in the NFL’s standings, it is fair to treat this search as Harbaugh’s first significant challenge as the Giants’ head coach:

The challenge of finding the coach that is best for Dart and, by extension, best for the Giants in 2026 and beyond.