Sunday night gives the Giants a stage they haven’t had in more than a decade, and the buzz around the John Harbaugh era has carried all the way into September. The team has spent the offseason under a bright spotlight, with Harbaugh’s arrival, the debate over Jaxson Dart’s future as a franchise quarterback, and the return of Odell Beckham Jr. all drawing plenty of attention. Beckham survived final cuts and is expected to play against the Cowboys.
But as Week 1 arrives, a few specific Giants storylines stand out.
Isaiah Likely is at the center of the most intriguing one. He was one of the Giants’ most talked-about players all summer, and he wasted no time becoming Dart’s preferred target in training camp and the preseason.
That connection is the one to watch on Sunday night. Darius Slayton’s release doesn’t figure to change much in terms of Likely’s volume, since the expectation for weeks has been that Dart will lean heavily on Likely and Malik Nabers.
Third-year tight end Theo Johnson could also matter, especially once the Giants get into the red zone.
There’s also a defensive angle worth watching with Arvell Reese. The encouraging sign here is the silence - there wasn’t any public concern about Reese having trouble adjusting from edge rusher to a more traditional linebacker role.
That matters even more now because Dallas will be missing Tyler Smith. The three-time Pro Bowl guard is expected to miss at least four weeks after thumb surgery.
Smith wouldn’t have been the blocker assigned to Reese every snap, but his absence still helps Reese’s debut and gives the Giants’ pass rush a better setup.
The backfield is another place where Harbaugh’s influence shows up immediately. Tuesday’s unofficial depth chart had Cam Skattebo listed first, with Najee Harris, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary all sharing the co-No. 2 spot.
Short version: Harris is being bought high here. Unless injuries change the picture, Tracy and Singletary aren’t expected to play major roles Sunday night.
Tracy, in particular, seems to have lost ground with the new staff, and his missed block against the Vikings last month didn’t help. It remains to be seen whether the Giants carry all four backs for the game or make one a healthy scratch, likely Tracy or Singletary.
And then there’s the familiar Ravens pipeline. Keeping track of all the former Baltimore players who followed Harbaugh to the Giants is almost a project in itself, and Malik Harrison’s recent addition to the practice squad pushed the total to at least nine ex-Ravens who have spent time with the team this year.
Likely and Beckham Jr. may grab the headlines, but Jordan Stout is in the mix too as an All-Pro punter. Patrick Ricard is another name to watch, especially when he lines up as an in-line tight end on passing downs.
Ricard played 41% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps last year, his highest total since 2022, and Harbaugh has long been a fan of the six-time Pro Bowler.
In Other News...
Former Giants RB At Center Of Sickening Off-Field Case
LeShon Johnson, a former Giants running back, is back in the news for all the wrong reasons after being sentenced to five years in prison and fined $30,000 for operating an illegal dogfighting ring. The case ended with convictions on six felony counts tied to possession, selling and trafficking animals used for fighting, a grim chapter that adds another dark footnote to the post-football life of a player once known for his time in the league.
The scope of the operation is what made the case stand out even more. After his arrest, Johnson surrendered 190 dogs, the largest number ever seized from one person in a federal dogfighting case, underscoring just how extensive the investigation became. It is a disturbing reminder that headlines involving former players can sometimes stretch far beyond the field and into crimes that carry both legal and moral weight. [Read more 🡒]
Odell Beckham Jr. Suddenly Carries More Weight In Giants Opener
The Giants head into Week 1 against the Cowboys with a receiver situation that looks a little thinner than it did a few days ago, and that has pushed Odell Beckham Jr. into a more meaningful role than some might have expected. Beckham made the final 53-man roster and is projected to be the fourth receiver, but with Darius Slayton released and Malik Nabers still working back from injury recovery, the depth chart has real consequences attached to it.
Beckham is expected to get meaningful snaps right away, which gives the Giants more than just another body at the position. His presence now matters both for what he can still do on the field and for the veteran steadiness he can bring to a group that may need it early. How much bigger that role becomes could depend on the health and availability of the receivers around him, and that makes Sunday feel like more than a routine opener. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Need Theo Johnson For More Than They Planned
With Malik Nabers' availability still in question and Darius Slayton gone, the Giants are heading toward Week 1 against the Cowboys with less certainty at receiver than they probably wanted. That puts a different kind of spotlight on Theo Johnson, the tight end who led the team in receiving touchdowns last season and now looks poised to matter even more in the passing game.
Johnson was already part of the plan, but the shrinking margin for error around him changes the scale of the assignment. If the wideout group remains thin, the Giants may have to lean on him not just as a red-zone option, but as one of the more reliable ways to keep the offense moving while they sort out who is actually available and how much they can trust the rest of the passing game. [Read more 🡒]