These Giants could be goners after season finale vs. Cowboys

6 days ago 2

The Giants finish yet another miserable season Sunday, when they host the Cowboys.

So which Giants players — including injured guys who won’t play Sunday — will not return to the team in 2026?

Let’s take a look at the players who definitely will be gone and those who are on the fence, as general manager Joe Schoen (who has overseen so much losing) is somehow trending toward returning.

CUT CANDIDATES WHO LIKELY WON’T RETURN

RB Devin Singletary, K Graham Gano, OT James Hudson, WR Jalin Hyatt

Analysis: The Giants have their young running back duo for 2026 (Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy). They’d free up $5.25 million in salary cap space by cutting Singletary. Gano is a no-brainer cut ($4.5 million savings). Ditto for Hudson ($5.5 million savings).

Hyatt can’t even get on the field. A brutal third-round pick by Schoen. His cap number for 2026 isn’t crazy ($1.7 million), but the Giants would free up $1.5 million of that by releasing him. Why bother retaining him?

CUT CANDIDATES ON THE FENCE

MLB Bobby Okereke, LG Jon Runyan

Analysis: The main issue here is that the Giants would need to find quality replacement starters. The four guys in that first group are much more expendable. But releasing Okereke and Runyan is tempting if only because of the cap savings — $9 million and $9.25 million, respectively.

PENDING FREE AGENTS WHO LIKELY WON’T RETURN

QB Russell Wilson, OL Evan Neal, DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches, RG Greg Van Roten, OL Josh Ezeudu

Analysis: The Wilson signing failed spectacularly. (Expect him to retire.) Ditto for Schoen drafting Neal (seventh overall) and Ezeudu (third round) in 2022. Two more wasted picks. Nunez-Roches, who turns 33 in July, can no longer stop the run. Van Roten is solid but not spectacular — and about to turn 36. The Giants need a younger right guard.

PENDING FREE AGENTS ON THE FENCE

RT Jermaine Eluemunor, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, TE Chris Manhertz, LS Casey Kreiter, CB Cor’Dale Flott, WR Gunner Olszewski, TE Daniel Bellinger, S Dane Belton, ILB Micah McFadden, DT D.J. Davidson

Analysis: Robinson and Flott are the Giants’ top in-house free agents, and Schoen should work hard to re-sign both. Robinson gives the Giants a slippery presence in the slot, while Flott blossomed into a very good outside corner in 2025. Both would be significant losses if they depart.

Eluemunor is a bit trickier, since he is 31. But he pass blocked well while playing on a two-year contract from 2024-25. You could make a legit case for bringing him back with a short-term commitment.

The other guys here are lower-profile players.

Bellinger lost his starting job to Theo Johnson in 2024, so he probably doesn’t even want to come back. Manhertz is a solid veteran presence. He is worth keeping as a backup, especially since he won’t be expensive. Kreiter will provide special teams consistency with Gano out the door.

Olszewski is an OK returner, but not great. Belton has turned into a strong special teams player, though he isn’t starter material on defense. The Giants could easily move on from Davidson, who is inconsistent. McFadden was trending upward, but he got hurt in Week 1 and missed the season.