John Michael Schmitz’s status has turned the Giants’ center spot into a problem at exactly the wrong time.
Schmitz sat out Thursday’s practice while still moving through concussion protocol after taking a shot to the head at Friday’s session. Head coach John Harbaugh said the fourth-year center “got his bell rung” and had to leave the field.
That leaves the Giants facing their preseason opener against the Vikings on Saturday without the player they’ve started at center for three years. It also throws a fresh spotlight on the middle of an offensive line that has to help protect Jaxson Dart in Year 2.
The concern isn’t just about one missed practice. Schmitz was already fighting to hold onto the job.
New York drafted him No. 57 overall in 2023 to steady the interior, but the production has stayed in the neighborhood of replacement level. In 2025, he posted a 60.8 overall PFF grade, which ranked 29th among 40 qualified centers.
He also allowed 14 total pressures across 788 offensive snaps, according to PFF. His 60.9 pass-blocking grade and 63.3 run-blocking grade paint the same picture: a starter the staff has lived with more than fully trusted.
That kind of profile makes every missed rep matter. Schmitz came into camp needing to show he could be the long-term answer, and now the competition behind him gets more time to make its case.
The Giants have had to patch things together quickly. Backup center Lucas Patrick has been out with a knee issue while the team manages his snaps, which left the position thin as soon as Schmitz went down. To add another option, New York signed free-agent center Brenden Jaimes off a Monday workout.
Bryan Hudson has taken the first-team center reps with Schmitz and Patrick sidelined, while Jake Kubas has worked as the No. 2, per Sports Illustrated. Reporters said Hudson handled the promotion well, giving Harbaugh’s staff a real look at whether the depth chart can survive if this lingers into the regular season.
That makes Saturday more than just another preseason game. Hudson is expected to anchor the middle against a Vikings front that includes Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Jalen Redmond among its defensive-line starters. For the Giants, the checklist is simple: clean snaps, clean protection calls and a pocket that actually holds together.
Schmitz’s return depends on the concussion protocol, and there’s no rushing that clock. For now, the Giants have to hand the center job to a backup and hope the answers show up quickly. What was supposed to be a settled spot has become one more thing they need to sort out on the fly.
In Other News...
Giants Preseason Opener Took A Troubling Turn For The Vikings
The Giants preseason opener brought an unwelcome pause for Minnesota when Jamal Adams went down with a right knee injury on a non-contact play. Adams was attended to in the medical tent before being taken off the field, and the Vikings had not yet issued an official update on his status as the game moved on.
Kevin OConnell said the team was disappointed by the injury and pointed to the positive impact Adams had already made in a short time with Minnesota. For a Vikings roster trying to sort out its early summer evaluation, any setback to a veteran trying to carve out a role carries extra weight, and this one left the sideline waiting for more clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Cornerback Uncertainty Could Force A Move Fans Never Expected
The Giants spent part of their cornerback search looking at Terrion Arnold, but the former first-round pick ended up taking a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks after a visit to New York. Arnolds path back into the league had already been complicated by his release from Detroit following legal issues, so his signing elsewhere leaves the Giants still sorting through a spot that has not produced much certainty as they try to stabilize the secondary.
With that avenue closed, the attention may turn to a far more ambitious target in New England. Christian Gonzalez is in a contract dispute with the Patriots while seeking a high-value extension, and the Giants are reportedly weighing whether to make a call about him, a move that would instantly reshape the discussion around their cornerback room. The obstacle is obvious: a player of that caliber would not come cheap, and any real pursuit would mean New York putting major draft and roster assets on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Downs Is Already Giving Cowboys Fans A Reason To Dream
The draft-day buzz around Caleb Downs lingered far beyond Dallas, because plenty of people had penciled him in as a Giants target before the Cowboys stepped in and made him theirs. Now the former Alabama safety is in his first NFL training camp, and Brian Schottenheimer has already pointed to the instincts and intelligence that made Downs such a prized prospect in the first place, including the poise he showed as a freshman under Nick Saban.
For Giants fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a player can tilt the balance of a draft, especially when the guy in question looks like he belongs before the pads even come on. Early signs out of camp suggest Downs is handling the jump well and has the kind of all-around upside that can turn a strong pick into an elite one, which is exactly the sort of development New York will be watching from afar. [Read more 🡒]