The preseason is done for the New York Giants, and they closed it out the right way: a 23-6 win over their MetLife roommate.
With most of the starters sitting this one out, the finale turned into a showcase for players fighting for jobs at the edges of the roster. A few of them made their case. A few others didn’t.
Najee Harris was one of the early standouts, flashing burst with the ball in his hands less than a year after his Achilles tendon tear. He logged five carries for 26 yards in the first quarter and looked explosive doing it.
Odell Beckham Jr. also got plenty of run through the first two quarters. He was mostly effective, but his day included a dropped pass that popped into the air and turned into an interception on New York’s opening drive. Even so, he appears to be a safe bet to make the final roster.
The Giants’ run defense, meanwhile, picked up right where too many bad stretches have gone before. Early on, it looked shaky again, with the Jets pounding the ball 10 straight times on a touchdown drive in the first quarter. That had to feel familiar in the worst possible way for Giants fans.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. helped steady his own spot with a much-needed showing. He came into the game hovering near the roster bubble, then answered with four carries for 37 yards and a touchdown.
He left late in the first half with an injury, but later returned to the sideline. Per Dan Duggan, he was evaluated for a concussion and cleared.
Trace Ford kept building his case as one of the more disruptive players on the field. After getting a shoutout from Harbaugh for last week’s work, he came back with another strong outing, hounding Jets QB Cade Klubnik and notching multiple tackles in the backfield. He’s still a long shot for the final roster, but he’s making a clear argument that he belongs somewhere in the league.
There was also a telling note in the receiver battle: Darius Slayton was still out there deep into the second quarter, while Malachi Fields stayed on the sideline. That points to the rookie holding a firm edge for New York’s second starting receiver job.
Braxton Berrios did himself no favors with a first-quarter fumble in the red zone. He was back handling punt return duties, which may be his best path onto the team with Calvin Austin III out, but the turnover put him right back on the bubble.
At kicker, Dominic Zvada looked like he wrapped up the job. The undrafted rookie made all three of his field goals and both extra points, while Ben Sauls never got on the field.
The quarterback play wasn’t going to swing the roster much either way, but Jake Haener clearly had the better day than Brandon Allen. Haener’s touchdown throw to Xavier Gipson may have been the best pass a Giants quarterback has made this preseason.
And yes, the last word still belongs to Harbaugh. Make no mistake. John Harbaugh is still the king of the preseason.
In Other News...
Giants Face A Shocking Backfield Decision After Costly Mistakes
Tyrone Tracy has become one of the more unexpected names to watch as the Giants sort through their backfield decisions, even after showing enough in past seasons to look like part of the answer. The conversation around him is not just about one bad stretch, either. Coaches John Harbaugh and Matt Nagy have pointed to recent mistakes while still noting Tracys overall contributions and the way he approaches the work, which only adds to the sense that this is a complicated call rather than a simple one.
For the Giants, the timing makes everything trickier. Depth chart changes are already reshaping the room, and salary cap considerations are part of the equation as the front office weighs whether keeping Tracy is the smarter move or whether a surprise cut could be on the table. For a team trying to stabilize its offense, it is the kind of roster question that can linger until the last possible moment. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Are Already Facing A Brutal Reality About Their Rebuild
The Giants spent the offseason trying to reset the roster, adding new pieces through trades and the draft in hopes of stabilizing a team that has spent too long searching for traction. Even so, the outside view has not moved much. Mark Powell of FanSided recently put New York among the NFL teams that are unlikely to contend for a Super Bowl this season, a reminder that a makeover on paper does not always translate into instant progress on the field.
For a franchise trying to rebuild around a new foundation, the more immediate question may be less about wins and losses than about evaluation. Powell suggested the coaching staff could spend this year sorting through the roster and determining who fits long term, including whether Jaxson Dart can develop into the franchise quarterback. Until that becomes clearer, the Giants figure to remain underdogs in the preseason conversation, no matter how much they reshaped the roster over the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Have A Rare Cutdown Advantage Joe Schoen Could Still Cash In
The Giants still have a little maneuvering room before the cutdown deadline, and general manager Joe Schoen said the club is weighing three to five key roster calls before it locks in the 53-man group. For a team that has already shown it can turn surplus into future value by dealing Daniel Faalele to Jacksonville for a 2027 sixth-round pick, the final stretch is less about simply surviving cuts and more about deciding where the roster can still be leveraged.
Schoen has made clear the decision-making will not be one-dimensional. Contract control matters, special teams value matters, position flexibility matters and health will matter too, which gives the Giants a broader lens as they sort through the bubble. With more than one possible trade path still open, the next move could say as much about roster building for the future as it does about the team they plan to put on the field right away. [Read more 🡒]