Former Giants guard Greg Van Roten is running out of runway.
The 36-year-old is still sitting in free agency, and the market has not moved his way. Other guards have already come off the board, the Giants included, and Van Roten has been left waiting without any clear sign that a deal is coming together. After 11 seasons, the possibility that his NFL career is over is starting to look real.
Van Roten’s path to this point has never been ordinary. He entered the league with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2012, then spent three straight years from 2014 to 2016 without landing on an NFL roster. He had to go to the CFL to keep the career alive before eventually working his way back.
Once he got back, he carved out a reputation as a dependable starter. That was true for the Giants, who plugged him in at right guard in both 2024 and 2025. He played more than 1,000 offensive snaps in each of those seasons, the two highest totals of his career.
New York’s line hasn’t been among the league’s best, but Van Roten gave the Giants solid work. He allowed pressures on less than 3% of his pass-blocking snaps and also held up as a run blocker.
Even so, the Giants moved on. They drafted Francis Mauigoa in the first round to replace him at right guard and signed Daniel Faalele as the backup. With Jon Runyan expected to start on the other side, the team appears set at guard.
There is still a window for Van Roten to land somewhere else before the season begins. Training camp and preseason injuries often create openings, and veteran help can suddenly become valuable. Spotrac estimates him at about $5 million per year, which would be a reasonable price for starting guard production if he can match what he did in 2025.
But if no team comes calling before the regular season starts, Van Roten may be forced to confront the end of the road.
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