5 NY Giants Veterans Who We Doubt Will Be on the Roster Next Season

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh is expected to instill discipline and credibility within a franchise that has lost 10 or more games in 10 of the last 14 seasons. But first, he will reshape the roster in his vision.

While Big Blue’s core should remain intact, Harbaugh and the front office will cut several other players. Whether for money, performance, or both, departures are inevitable. Five in particular make sense, two of which might come as a surprise.

K Graham Gano

Veteran kicker Graham Gano gets loose at NY Giants' minicamp — Jun 17, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants place kicker Graham Gano (9) stretches during minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

The veteran kicker has converted 18-of-21 field goal attempts over the last two seasons, but he is limited and unhealthy at this stage of his career. The Giants simply cannot trust Graham Gano any longer. His continued presence leaves the squad quite vulnerable.

The former Pro Bowler turns 39 in April and is recovering from neck surgery. He’s played only 23 games in three years and attempted just seven FGs from 50-plus yards.

Gano is accurate from long range, making all but one of those attempts, but his limited sample size and durability concerns may never yield more chances.

Beyond releasing an aging kicker who is rarely available, the Giants save $4.5 million in cap space and incur $1.25 million in dead money, per Over the Cap.

After six years, the Giants and Gano will likely split this offseason.

RB Devin Singletary

Devin Singletary carries the ball for the NY Giants — Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (26) runs with the ball against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

New York initially expected Devin Singletary to play a bigger role, but he has provided the team with important depth at running back.

He has totaled 874 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 3.8 yards per carry through 32 games with the Giants, which is certainly respectable for a third-stringer.

John Harbaugh sees what every fan does. With the team's tight cap, keeping a third running back at Singletary’s cap hit just isn't realistic when Tracy and Skattebo are already on the roster.

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If the Giants release Singletary, they save $5.25 million and incur only $1.25 million in dead money.

The 28-year-old is solid in pass-protection and could be a nice insurance option in case Skattebo suffers a setback in his recovery, but opting for an additional back instead of additional spending money is not a luxury this franchise has at the moment.

Singletary’s exit opens a path for explosive Dante “Turbo” Miller to join the roster. Moving on from the 2019 third-rounder highlights the strength of the Giants’ RB room.

OT James Hudson III

General manager Joe Schoen signed James Hudson III to a two-year, $12 million contract in the hopes that he could become a swing tackle. Hudson did not provide much depth on the offensive line, though. Actually, the former fourth-rounder proved to be a liability.

He committed four penalties on the opening drive in New York’s 40-37 overtime loss versus the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. The 26-year-old was benched for the brutal display and, consequently, combusted on the sidelines.

Hudson lost his job to rookie Marcus Mbow and finished with just 85 offensive snaps. The Giants missed on this signing and should cut their losses, freeing $5.38 million for free agency.

Reinforcing the offensive line is always crucial, but Harbaugh must identify the right players.

WR Jalin Hyatt

In what was another instance of misjudgment, Schoen traded up to select wide receiver Jalin Hyatt in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Tennessee star won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is probably why Schoen took a chance on him.

It may be time to end the experiment, however. Hyatt showed promise as a rookie but has barely contributed in the last two years.

He had five catches for 35 yards on 110 routes in 2025, per PFF. Even with a thin receiving corps, he couldn’t gain traction.

The Giants will have the opportunity to upgrade their pass-catching unit either in free agency (Alec Pierce is a popular option) or in April’s draft (Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson, or Carnell Tate). In doing so, that could mean even fewer reps for Hyatt if he’s retained.

New York can take a wise approach by letting Hyatt enter free agency a year early. Otherwise, he’ll just waste away on the bench.

P Jamie Gillan

Jamie Gillan punts for the NY Giants — Nov 23, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Giants punter Jamie Gillan (12) kicks the ball in the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. | David Reginek-Imagn Images

The Giants can open up a good chunk of cap room by releasing Bobby Okereke and Jon Runyan Jr., or by trading Kayvon Thibodeaux, but I can see the logic in keeping all three.

It is much harder to justify retaining punter Jamie Gillan. “The Scottish Hammer” posted a 38.0 net average punt yards and punted inside the 20-yard line just 17 times last season, which ranked 29th and 30th, respectively.

Though Gillan is under contract for two more years, Harbaugh has no loyalty to him. Better options, like his former Ravens punter Jordan Stout, are available in free agency.

The Super Bowl 47 champion head coach is detail-oriented, and perfecting the “little things” can quickly turn a last-place team into a relevant one. Efficient punting is critical.

Maybe I’m going out on a limb, but I believe the Giants will absorb the $2.133 million dead cap hit to improve the position.

While the Giants face tough choices, they should survive if they indeed move on from these five players.