Giants' John Harbaugh wants 'relentless persistence,' dislikes President Biden comparison

Pat Leonard, New York Daily News on Mar 28, 2026

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

John Harbaugh is setting a new tone with new messages on signage around the Giants‘ East Rutherford, N.J., facility: “relentless persistence” and “finish everything all the time.”

The Giants’ new head coach told the Pardon My Take podcast that he’s excited to get the players in the building on April 6, and it’s important that he and the coaching staff set the right tone once they step in.

“It could have been persistent relentlessness, but that was a little too long for the wall. So I went relentless persistence,” Harbaugh said of his core motto on TV screens and signs around the building. “I felt like that kind of captured the mindset.

“And then the other one was ‘Finish everything all the time,'” he added. “So everything is gonna be a big deal: Confront everything, work hard at everything, everything all the time. All the time, everything that’s what we’re doing. Everything necessary all the time.”

It’s understandable why Harbaugh is drilling in the message of finishing and persisting through adversity.

Last year’s Giants’ 4-13 season was riddled with blown leads. This is a team that brought some energy and attitude at times in 2025 but lacked the confidence and execution to make plays when it mattered most.

Harbaugh is getting right to the heart of the matter: Don’t stop. Keep going. Keep attacking.

The mantra “finish everything all the time” also is an allusion to how Harbaugh wants the team to go about its daily work.

That’s not just about finishing games, it’s about making a habit of completing tasks, working hard and smart and preparing properly so the players and team are more prepared and freer to play fast without looking over their shoulders on gamedays.

Harbaugh does not intend for the Giants to continue to be a “here we go again” team when something goes wrong. He aims to have a team that forces the opponent to fold and quit.

Speaking it out loud is a start.

Giants got ‘a lot for our buck’ in free agency

Harbaugh said he thought the Giants “got a lot for our buck” in free agency despite having “mid-level” salary cap space, and he used his former Baltimore Ravens team as a comparison to demonstrate how well the Giants did.

“We signed 16 guys in free agency, and we did it with just mid-level spending in the National Football League,” Harbaugh told Pardon My Take. “For free agency we were right in the middle, and we signed 16 guys with that. I think the Ravens had about the same, and they signed eight guys.

“So I’m really excited about the fact that — I think we got a lot for our buck, so to speak,” the coach added. “And these are all guys that are motivated guys, that wanted to be here for the right reasons, that are gonna fit our style of play. We’ll see, but I’m really kind of pleased with these guys. And we’re not done yet.”

Harbaugh dislikes Biden comparison

The Giants’ head coach said he is not pleased that the general public believes Harbaugh’s voice sounds like former President Joe Biden’s.

A clip of Harbaugh’s February interview with FOX & Friends went viral when New York Revival co-host ‘el Jefe’ tweeted: “Someone said that John Harbaugh has the same voice as Joe Biden and now I can’t unhear it.”

Harbaugh laughed at the question but said he doesn’t like the comparison.

“Ya know, I’m not happy with that at all,” Harbaugh said. “I might have had a little sore throat that day. I got a little sore throat today. I mean Joe Biden, really? Did you guys think I sounded like Joe Biden? Was it the whole interview or maybe one sentence that they clipped out.”

The Pardon My Take hosts jokingly tried to get Harbaugh to record a message in Biden’s voice, and he played along but was advised by a Giants public relations employee not to do it.

The topic of ice cream came up, and Harbaugh said: “I can’t eat ice cream anymore. Can Joe Biden eat ice cream at his age? Really?”

He closed the segment by doubling down on not loving the comparison.

“I’m gonna have to dispute that,” he said. “I’m putting that in dispute right now. I want a judicial hearing (laughs). I’m not accepting that. I will not accept that comparison under any circumstances.”

Time to meet

The NFL’s owners meetings will take place in Phoenix, Ariz., from Sunday through Tuesday. Harbaugh’s first NFC coaches breakfast as Giants head coach is scheduled for early Monday morning where he will talk about free agency, the NFL Draft and more.

_____