Anthony Rivardo
As the John Harbaugh era kicks into gear at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, all eyes in Indianapolis were on New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen to see if the rumors of his “relegation” were real.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Schoen fired back at reports suggesting he’s been reduced to a glorified head scout under the new organizational chart. “I’m still the general manager of the team, and my role has not changed,” Schoen asserted. “I’m still tasked with leading the entire football operation.”
Earlier on Tuesday morning, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reported that Giants ownership “is not happy with the characterization outside the building that Schoen’s responsibilities are diminished or that he has been relegated only to scouting.” Schoen’s presser served as an opportunity for him to clear the air and re-emphasize his role as the GM.
Giants GM Joe Schoen Clarifies His Role Amidst Organizational Shakeup
It had previously been reported by Pat Leonard of the NY Daily News that Schoen had been “relegated” to primarily “handling just scouting.” That is the report that ownership seems frustrated by and that Schoen made sure to clarify on Tuesday morning.
Despite the hiring of Dawn Aponte as the Giants’ new Senior VP of Football Operations, Schoen is insisting that his role has not changed and he is still “tasked with leading the entire football operation.”
Meanwhile, Aponte is taking over a role that was previously held by Kevin Abrams, who was with the Giants for the better part of three decades.
The “Collaborative” Hierarchy
Aponte works collaboratively with Schoen and Harbaugh, as both the GM and head coach confirmed. Harbaugh gave a glowing review of Aponte in his press conference on Tuesday afternoon, as noted by The Athletic’s Dan Duggan:
“Harbaugh called senior VP of football operations and strategy Dawn Aponte ‘the perfect fit” for the job.’ Harbaugh said her role is all about ‘integration.’ He said there can’t be silos. Harbaugh, Aponte and GM Joe Schoen will work together to get all of their systems integrated,” Duggan posted on X.
Collaboration is the new word of the offseason for the Giants as they rebuild their program in Harbaugh’s image.
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