Late Wednesday night, news broke that John Harbaugh was set to become the newest head coach of the New York Giants.
This dashed the hopes for the Atlanta Falcons, who have been begging for a head coach with the pedigree of Harbaugh. It was a massive swing and miss.
However, don't count your chickens before they hatch; there might still be a chance for Arthur Blank to hire his top choice. According to NFL Insider Tom Pelissero, the initial reports from earlier this week were a bit premature.
Talks continue between the Giants and John Harbaugh, and a deal could get done in the coming hours. But Harbaugh has been very methodical about doing due diligence, and nothing is finalized yet. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/AlLQ7zBbig
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 16, 2026
While he says it is still "likely" that Harbaugh takes the job, it has not been finalized yet. The veteran coach is doing his due diligence even after reports surfaced that he had canceled future meetings with other teams.
Falcons still have a very minimal chance at landing John Harbaugh
We have seen quick 180s happen in the NFL before. Usually, they come with players during free agency, but who says it can't come in the coaching world?
Harbaugh is smart enough to not make a rash decision with what will likely be his final job in the NFL. The Giants have rolled out the red carpet, giving him anything he wants to convince him to take the job. It would behoove the legendary coach to fall in love without taking a look at his other options.
One of those options would undoubtedly be the Falcons. Blank and Matt Ryan would love to have the former Ravens coach as their team leader. He is as consistent as consistent gets, has led many great Baltimore teams, and has won a Super Bowl.
Inserting him as the leader of a team that has names like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, A.J. Terrell, Jessie Bates, and many young superstars would be a dream come true.
One could argue that this is a better situation for Harbaugh, especially when examining the general manager situation. The Giants have already announced their decision to retain Joe Schoen, who has had a rocky tenure in New York, and that's putting it lightly.
Meanwhile, the Falcons offer the opportunity to hire whoever he wants. This creates an agreed-upon culture and vision for the team. I may be biased, but I honestly don't see how you take the New York job over the warm Atlanta job, especially with a better roster in a worse division.
Hopefully, the Dirty Birds find a way to swoop in and create forever enemies with Big Blue by making him change his mind.