Ever since the New York Giants snapped up the biggest name in this coaching carousel by hiring John Harbaugh, the reaction around the league has been almost universally positive. And it is not hard to see why. For nearly a decade, the Giants have been searching for an identity. Since Tom Coughlin’s exit in 2016, the franchise has cycled through coaches, philosophies, and failed resets.
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With Harbaugh on board, what the Giants get first and foremost is the credibility of an established, Super Bowl-winning head coach. Secondly, they get the stability of a leader who commanded the Baltimore locker room for 19 years. And lastly, perhaps most importantly for New York, they finally have a head coach whose reputation alone demands instant buy-in.
Those were some of the key points Michael Strahan emphasized when he recently talked about Harbaugh’s hire.
Speaking on the New Heights Podcast, the Giants legend made it clear he’s fully on board with the hiring. “I love it. I love it,” he said without hesitation. For Strahan, more than the excitement of having a revered head coach, the appeal is about the standards Harbaugh would set.
“I think he brings credibility, accountability and accountability to the team,” he explained, repeating the word for emphasis. He believes Harbaugh’s resume alone changes the dynamic the moment he walks into the building.
“The second he walks in the door, he’s getting respect… The respect that he’s going to demand. And the accountability… because you can’t get away with some of that stuff.”
Strahan says this level of respect is something the Giants have been missing for years, hinting that certain behaviors inside the organization were tolerated for far too long.
Strahan also revealed that he sees real promise in the Giants’ young core, particularly at quarterback. He singled out last year’s first-round pick, Jaxson Dart, praising his talent while offering a blunt warning.
“Dart, I think, could be good,” the ex-Giants DE said, before adding, “Just got to teach him to get the hell down and stop taking hits.” Strahan expects Harbaugh to bring discipline, which would help Dart survive the NFL, not just flash and crash, like a shooting star.
That same philosophy extended to his thoughts on running back Cam Skattebo, whose bruising style has already caught national attention.
Strahan admitted that while the rookie back’s toughness is admirable, it is also equally unsustainable. “You got to learn to pick your battle,” he said, noting that running with zero regard for self-preservation shortens careers. Harbaugh’s job, in Strahan’s view, isn’t to dull that energy, but to productively channel it.
All in all, Strahan’s expectations for his former team seem to be clear. Harbaugh doesn’t need to reinvent the Giants overnight. He needs to restore accountability, demand professionalism, and make players focus on football above all else.
If that happens, Strahan believes the rest will follow. Because, in his own words, the Giants have a really good nucleus of young players. All Harbaugh needs to do is make some smart signings and sort out the intangibles. Who knows, maybe he can become next season’s Mike Vrabel!
