The Giants are making a major front office move, bringing in one of the most respected names in NFL operations. Dawn Aponte, who’s been serving as the NFL’s chief administrator of football operations, is joining the organization as a senior vice president - and she’s expected to take over the role previously held by longtime executive Kevin Abrams.
This is a significant hire for New York, and not just because of Aponte’s title. She brings with her a deep well of experience across both team and league levels, with a career that spans more than three decades in NFL front offices. Her arrival signals a strategic shift for the Giants, particularly in how they handle the business side of football - contracts, salary cap management, and overall football administration.
Aponte’s NFL journey started back in 1994 with the Jets, where she came in as an accountant and quickly carved out a niche in salary cap and contract management. She rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the team’s senior director of football administration. From there, her resume only grew stronger - with stops in Cleveland and Miami, where she held senior executive roles, before moving to the league office in 2006.
She returned to team operations for a few years but ultimately landed in one of the NFL’s most influential behind-the-scenes roles in 2017, overseeing football operations at the league level. That role put her at the heart of how the NFL runs on a day-to-day basis - from policy and compliance to competitive balance and administrative structure.
Now, she’s bringing all of that experience to a Giants organization that’s clearly looking to evolve. With Abrams out after decades of handling contracts and cap strategy, Aponte steps in with a modern, league-informed perspective. She’s been mentioned in the past as a potential general manager candidate, and while this role doesn’t carry that title, it’s certainly a position of major influence inside the Giants’ front office.
At 54, Aponte has seen the NFL from just about every angle - team-side, league-side, and everything in between. She’s not just a cap expert; she’s someone who understands how to build sustainable, competitive football operations. For a Giants team that’s trying to get back to consistent relevance, this hire could be a foundational piece.
Bottom line: this isn’t just a front office shuffle. It’s a calculated move to bring in a seasoned, respected executive with a track record of navigating the NFL’s complex operational landscape. And for a franchise like the Giants, that kind of leadership could be exactly what they need.