John Harbaugh is a big reason at least 4 former Ravens players joined the Giants

By Canadian Press on March 12, 2026.

NEW YORK (AP) — If John Harbaugh were coaching a Pop Warner football team, fullback Patrick Ricard told him he’d want to be involved in some way, even if that meant being the water boy.

Harbaugh coaches the New York Giants now, so following him there was much easier.

Ricard is one of at least four former Baltimore Ravens players joining Harbaugh with the Giants. He and tight end Isaiah Likely signed their contracts Thursday, while defensive back Ar’Darius Washington and All-Pro punter Jordan Stout agreed to terms earlier this week when the NFL’s free agency period began.

“As soon as I saw he got the job here, I was definitely interested,” Ricard said on a video call with reporters. “As soon as he was interested in me coming here, I was all in. I was just ready to just sign a contract and let’s get going.”

The Ravens fired Harbaugh after losing the season finale to Pittsburgh. Likely had a would-be game-winning touchdown catch overturned on video review that if it held up, he said, “I’d still be in Baltimore” because Harbaugh might have kept his job.

Moving past that butterfly effect of what could have changed, Likely credits the culture Harbaugh instills for explaining why he and others want to keep playing for the 63-year-old Super Bowl-winning coach.

“With Harbs the mantra was always be disciplined, you’re going to give 110% effort for a whole 60 minutes and understand that you’ll never go into a game thinking negative,” said Likely, who signed for three years and $40 million. “I feel like that’s the best mantra to have going into any organization having Harbs as your leader.”

Harbaugh and Joe Schoen aren’t just pulling from Baltimore. On Thursday, the Giants agreed to sign former Pittsburgh receiver Calvin Austin to a $4.5 million contract for next season, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Austin, who will be 27 next season, along with Likely is part of the effort to replace Wan’Dale Robinson, who followed former Giants coach Brian Daboll — now the Titans’ offensive coordinator — to Tennessee. Austin had 31 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns with the Steelers last season.

Robinson last year became just the third player 5-foot-8 or shorter since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving. Likely is 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, and yet it seems like he is ticketed to line up in the slot in Matt Nagy’s offense.

Likely did that under Harbaugh and Todd Monken with the Ravens and is very comfortable in that role.

“I feel like in the slot you get to see a lot more — right now, right then and there,” Likely said, adding he enjoys moving around like a chess piece.

No matter where Likely is on the field, he provides a big, reliable target for quarterback Jaxson Dart, who’s going into his second professional season. The two have been texting since becoming teammates, and Dart might have been another big reason Likely picked the Giants.

“He got me here,” Likely said with a laugh. “Excited to get out there and play with him. When you watch him, you see the type of drive he has to win any game by any means necessary. You love that, when you have a quarterback like that that’s ready to do whatever it takes to win the game.”

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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press