The New York Giants have handed general manager Joe Schoen a multi-year contract extension, doubling down on the architect of the franchise’s latest rebuild despite four turbulent seasons in charge.

The announcement, confirmed by the club on Thursday evening, secures Schoen beyond the 2026 NFL season and cements his partnership with newly-appointed head coach John Harbaugh as the Giants attempt to climb back into contention.

Schoen had entered the final year of the five-year deal he signed when co-owner John Mara hired him from the Buffalo Bills in January 2022. He initially arrived alongside former head coach Brian Daboll but, while Daboll was dismissed midway through the 2025 season, Mara retained his GM to lead the search that ultimately landed Harbaugh in New York.

The Giants have posted a 22-45-1 record under Schoen, including a 9-7-1 debut campaign that produced a playoff berth and a postseason road victory before three losing seasons followed. Ownership, however, appears convinced by the direction of the roster overhaul, and by Schoen’s early working relationship with Harbaugh, whose arrival brought questions over the franchise’s internal power structure after reports that the Super Bowl-winning coach would report directly to ownership rather than through the general manager.

“We were able to get on the same page right off the bat in terms of what we were looking for, in terms of team building, trying to find the right type of guys that fit our scheme and our system,” Schoen said earlier this week. “We were aligned from day one. So it’s been great. It has been a really good offseason for us.”

Harbaugh also publicly backed the partnership after his appointment, saying: “Joe and I have been working together every single day, I mean, hours on end, whether it’s planning or organising or just talking about players or watching tape again over and over again on these guys. I feel like it’s gone very well.”

Schoen’s tenure has been marked by several heavily scrutinised personnel decisions, including allowing star running back Saquon Barkley to leave in free agency for division rival Philadelphia and trading defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this offseason, even though the latter netted a second top ten pick in the opening round of this year’s draft.

However, the Giants believe the long-term core is beginning to emerge. Schoen drafted wide receiver Malik Nabers in 2024 before adding quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo in 2025, while this year’s first round brought linebacker Arvell Reese and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa to New York. Schoen has also reshaped the pass rush through the drafting of Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter alongside the acquisition of Brian Burns.

The extension also arrives amid broader front office restructuring in East Rutherford, with experienced executive Dawn Aponte taking on an increasingly prominent role and former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals scout John Ritchie recently joining the organisation.

For Mara and co-owner Steve Tisch, the decision signals belief that stability, rather than another full reset, offers the franchise its best chance of ending a prolonged slide that has seen the Giants reach the playoffs only twice since winning Super Bowl XLVI.