When the Giants handed Chauncey Golston a three-year, $18 million deal in 2025, the bet was pretty clear: build on his best season and add another piece to a pass rush already loaded with young talent. Instead, Year 1 went sideways.
Golston never really carved out a steady spot in the rotation, and the missed opportunity hit him in the wallet too. The 28-year-old is now staring at a training camp that matters a lot more than most, because he needs a strong start if he wants to get back on pace for his $500,000 sack incentive bonus.
That incentive still gives him a real reason to push, even with expectations outside the building cooling off. Inside the Giants’ plans, though, the hope is simple: wipe the slate clean and turn a rough 2025 into a comeback story in 2026.
The challenge is that the road to snaps looks even tighter now.
New York’s pass-rushing group includes Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Arvell Reese, and that’s a crowded room by any measure. Carter is chasing a Year 2 jump, Burns is after another 16.5-sack season, Thibodeaux is entering what the source describes as the most make-or-break season it has ever seen, and Reese is adjusting to a new role as an off-ball linebacker while still finding ways to collapse the pocket.
Golston still has something to play for, though. His contract includes the same sack-based bonus ladder as last season, starting with $125,000 at 6.0 sacks, rising to $250,000 at 8.0 sacks, and topping out at $500,000 at 10.0 sacks.
That money was there for the taking in 2025, but injuries got in the way. An ankle issue and a neck injury helped derail his season, and the numbers reflected it: he played in only 10 games and finished with 1.0 sack, five tackles for loss, 20 tackles, and one quarterback hit.
That was a sharp drop from his 2024 run with the Dallas Cowboys, when he posted career highs with 5.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, 56 tackles, and eight quarterback hits.
The Giants clearly expected more when they gave him $12 million guaranteed. Now the question is whether Golston can use last year’s frustration to force his way back into the picture.
If he does, New York’s front could become even more dangerous. With Burns, Carter, and Thibodeaux drawing the bulk of the attention, a revived Golston would give the Giants another piece offenses have to account for - and that kind of depth can turn a strong pass rush into something much harder to deal with.
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Isaiah Likely Could Be The Answer Giants Fans Have Waited For
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For a young quarterback like Jaxson Dart, that kind of target can matter quickly. Likelys ability to create space and give the offense an easier outlet should help the passing game settle in, and it also gives the Giants another piece defenses have to account for before they can load up on Malik Nabers. The fit is obvious enough, even if the full payoff still has to be earned on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Just Got A Wild Isaiah Likely Comparison
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There is still a gap between projection and production, though, and that is what makes the discussion so intriguing. Likely has not yet put together a season that matches the kind of impact Clark was pointing toward, and the Giants are still sorting out how their passing game will look as they build around him. With Malik Nabers health still uncertain, every possible weapon matters a little more, which is why this comparison has already become such a talking point. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Still Have One Offensive Line Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The Giants have spent enough time trying to stabilize the middle of their offensive line to know the center spot matters as much as any other, and John Michael Schmitz Jr. remains the player under the brightest spotlight. New York has upgraded the group around him, including rookie Francis Mauigoa at right guard, but the bigger question is whether Schmitz fits what the line is being asked to do now, especially with a heavier emphasis on gap run-blocking.
Schmitz has looked more comfortable in zone concepts than in schemes that ask him to move and adjust on the fly, and last seasons protection issues only sharpened the concern. He enters the final year of his rookie deal with a chance to change the conversation, but also with the kind of pressure that can turn every snap into a referendum on whether the Giants have found their long-term answer at center. [Read more 🡒]