Los Angeles Chargers fans will tell you what the Greg Roman hiring did to Jim Harbaugh's first two seasons with the organization. His unimaginative scheme and stubborn implementation of the offense severely limited their ceiling during the start of Harbaugh's tenure.
Fans were, undeniably, glad to see him go at the onset of this offseason.
However, the impact it had upon the excitement surrounding Jim Harbaugh's initial hiring must be remembered. In contrast to the buzz surrounding the addition of such a tenured head coach, Roman's hiring was a bit of a disappointment, especially considering the coordinators that were on the market that offseason.
John Harbaugh just made the same mistake with the New York Giants, hiring Matt Nagy to be his new offensive coordinator. While it could prove to be a successful hire, it could also quickly become just as disappointing as Roman's hiring once was.
Matt Nagy could be the fly in the soup for Giants fans
When Jim Harbaugh joined the Chargers in 2024, there was understandably much excitement around his hiring. Los Angeles had been irrelevant for quite some time, and Jim promised to bring the team back into championship contention.
Yet his hiring of Roman indicated otherwise. Roman had a poor track record dating back to his days with the Baltimore Ravens. When the Baltimore offense ultimately declined beyond repair, Roman was forced to step down from his position as offensive coordinator.
Although fans were willing to give Roman a chance, his hiring was seen as a severe disappointment at the time.
Sound familiar, Giants fans?
John Harbaugh, who was hired as the head coach of New York this offseason, brought similar excitement with his arrival. He has been a successful head coach for over 18 seasons. He was undoubtedly the most coveted coaching candidate on the market.
Yet as the hiring cycle has continued, the Giants' premier options for offensive coordinator have slowly faded away. John Harbaugh wanted to hire Todd Monken, his offensive coordinator in Baltimore, but Monken accepted a head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns.
They ultimately landed on Nagy, who has not called plays since 2021 when he was head coach of the Chicago Bears. Nagy has been instrumental in the decline of the Kansas City Chiefs offense since his return to the organization in 2023.
Nagy, like Roman, possesses a poor track record and a sub-par reputation around the league as a play-caller.
Giants fans still have ample reason for excitement. They have a young quarterback, strong offensive weapons, and an emerging defense to go along with their new head coach.
But Nagy's hiring is certainly disappointing, and Chargers fans are more than able to commiserate.