The Giants hit Miami with a sense of urgency hanging over the whole trip, and Thursday’s joint practice with the Dolphins arrives as a needed reset. After a camp that has already featured some extra edge - including John Harbaugh chewing out corner Colton Hood for arguing a flag on the rookie after interference on Odell Beckham Jr., plus safety Ar’Darius Washington blasting into the backfield Tuesday to drag Cam Skattebo down for a loss before Skattebo answered with a hard second-effort charge at middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds - the change of scenery should matter.
Harbaugh said he wants the session to give his team a real look against another opponent. “I’m looking to get a good practice against a different team,” Harbaugh said.
“You get an opportunity to go against different players, different schemes and evaluate your guys along those lines. It’s good.”
Still, he made clear the Giants will keep the work controlled against a Dolphins team now led by first-time coach Jeff Hafley, the former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator. The two sides are “going to stay off the ground,” Harbaugh said, with “no blindside shots of any kind” and, most importantly, “nobody can get close to the quarterback,” whether that’s the Giants’ Jaxson Dart or Miami’s Malik Willis.
“We want to protect them as much as we protect our own players,” Harbaugh said. “And we want them to protect our players as much as they would protect their own players.”
The trip comes with the Giants trying to shake off an offense that has fallen short and with the Dallas Cowboys waiting only 24 days from Thursday, on Sunday Night Football Sept. 13 at MetLife Stadium. That urgency showed up again on Wednesday, when the Giants prepared to fly south for Thursday’s early 9:30 a.m. practice at the Dolphins’ facility and Harbaugh traded backup offensive guard Daniel Faalele to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. Newsday first reported the move.
Jacksonville needed help after right guard Patrick Mekari underwent back surgery, and Harbaugh turned that into value for a player who was not going to crack the Giants’ 53-man roster. Faalele, a spring signing, was dealt even though Harbaugh had brought him to New York from Baltimore.
It also fit the way Harbaugh is operating this camp: direct, unsentimental and willing to keep moving pieces if they do not fit. The timing was notable, coming one day after the Giants signed free agent running back Najee Harris.
Depth at guard still is not exactly a strength, with Aaron Stinnie, Josh Ezeudu and Evan Neal working on the interior. But the Giants’ draft changed the picture when they took Sisi Mauigoa No. 10 overall in late April, using the pick acquired in the Dexter Lawrence trade from Cincinnati. That lessened the need for Faalele to fight for a starting job, and Harbaugh then watched him struggle in the preseason opener.
So the Giants are pressing ahead with what they have, while also keeping an eye on their No. 5 spot in the waiver claim order when cutdown day arrives Aug. 30. Corner remains a glaring issue that still has not been solved.
With only two preseason games left - Saturday in Miami and next week against the Jets in New Jersey - there’s not much time for the Giants to sort it out. Harbaugh may not give the starters much more game action, which makes Thursday a big chance for Dart and the offense to show progress and for the roster as a whole to move closer to looking like a team ready for Week 1.
In Other News...
Giants Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Right Guard Battle
The Giants right guard competition has already taken on a sharper edge, and one of the names in the mix is now out of the picture. New York moved Daniel Faalele to Jacksonville, a move that comes after a rough preseason opener and leaves the Giants with one less body in a battle that was always going to be closely watched.
For the Jaguars, the trade is about patching a depth hole after Patrick Mekari went down with an injury, while the Giants get a future draft asset and a clearer look at the linemen still standing in camp. It also sends a pretty direct message about how quickly roster spots can shift in August, especially for a position group where every rep is being evaluated under a microscope. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxson Darts Girlfriend Responds After Giants Camp Backlash Spreads
Marissa Ayers, the girlfriend of Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, drew attention this week after publicly confirming their relationship and showing up at the teams 2026 training camp for a designated family visit. The appearance came as Dart heads into his second NFL season in New York, following a promising rookie year that still carried some injury concern, and it quickly became another small spotlight on a player the Giants are expected to lean on.
Ayers addressed the online backlash around her camp presence, making it clear she saw the visit as part of the teams family-centered setup rather than a distraction. The reaction added a bit of noise around Dart at a time when he is trying to keep the focus where the Giants want it, on football and on building from the momentum he flashed as a rookie. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rookie Jack Kelly Is Forcing A Real Roster Debate
Jack Kelly has done enough in camp and preseason games to make himself part of the conversation, which is not usually where a sixth-round pick starts in late August. The Giants rookie has shown up in the open field, piled up five tackles in the opener and carried that same activity into practices, where his speed and coverage work have stood out.
Kelly already has an active roster spot, but the real question is whether he has done enough to stick once the Giants sort through their veteran options and set the 53-man roster. For a player who came in with developmental expectations, the fact that he is forcing the team to weigh him against more established names says plenty about how quickly he has earned attention. [Read more 🡒]