Giants Ended Up Leaning on Tight Ends More Than Expected in 2025

Of all the injuries that the New York Giants suffered in 2025, none had a bigger impact than the Week 4 ACL injury suffered by receiver Malik Nabers.

That single injury all but forced the Giants offense to abandon a heavy reliance on 11-personnel (one running back, one tight end, three receivers) in favor of 12- and 13-personnel (one running back, two tight ends, and one running back, three tight ends, respectively).

That meant that the tight ends were far more involved in the game than they had been last year.

According to data from Sumer Sports, the Giants in 2024 ran 12 personnel on 16.75% of their offensive snaps and 13personnel on 3.67%. Those figures ranked 22nd and 13th in the league.

But this past season, those percentages jumped significantly. The Giants ran 12-personnel 32.3% of the time, ranking seventh in the league, way above the league average of 22.6%.

They ran 13-personnel 16.57%, 16th in the league.

Despite whatever hiccups the tight ends had, which we’ll get to in our individual player reviews, the Giants, in running 12-personnel, averaged 5.6 yards per play, which put them seventh in the league, and an improvement of the 5.0 yards per play the Giants averaged in 2024 when they ran 12-personnel.

Put it all together, and the Giants tight ends finished having averaged 12.6 yards per reception, fourth in the league.

So now that we have some context for the tight ends' contributions to the offense in 2025, let’s get into the individual player reviews.

Theo Johnson

This talented second-year pro continued his development from raw rookie to full-time starter this year. He’s still got some developing to do, especially as a receiver.

Johnson did make some impressive catches throughout the season (45 catches for 528 and a team-leading 5 receiving touchdowns), but there were also too many drops.

Per PFF, Johnson had 7 drops, tying him for the eighth most among all receiving targets league-wide (running backs, tight ends, and receivers). Isolating just the tight end spot, Johnson’s seven drops were tied for first with Travis Kelce of the Chiefs, Juwan Johnson of the Saints, and Zach Ertz of the Commanders.

Johnson really needs to work on getting his head and hands around; his drops most often occurred when his hands weren’t in catch mode. To become a reliable option, a receiver has to catch the easy ones. Johnson isn’t there yet.

His blocking was positive, but there’s still more work to do there. Johnson started 15 games and rarely came off the field. His ability to get downfield, especially up the seam, where his 6-foot-6 wingspan makes him a great target, was impressive.

We see him as more of a complementary than a go-to weapon in the passing game, but he’s certainly not someone you can go to sleep on. At just 24 years old, his best football is ahead of him.

Daniel Bellinger

A solid TE2 option whose best attribute is reliable hands, Bellinger only missed one game this year, the team’s versatile blocking tight end lining up almost everywhere with one exception: in-line due to his inability to handle defensive ends.

He’s very reliable on the move, where he mostly just gets in the way; he’s not very physical. He also lacks the movement skills to be a go-to receiving option.

He finished with 19 catches for 286 yards and 2 TDs on the year, and at times seemed under-utilized because of his reliability in catching the ball.

Bellinger is a pending free agent. We suspect that the Giants would like him back, but at a reasonable price.

Chris Manhertz

In limited snaps, this 33-year-old blocking tight end caught one ball, blocked like heck, and suited up for all 17 games.

The reliable Manhertz is a pending free agent and may sign another 1-year contract thanks to his ability to handle physical defenders.

Thomas Fidone II

One of two seventh-round picks by the Giants in 2025, Fidone suited up for seven games, played just 14 snaps on offense, and the balance of his snaps on special teams.

He was placed on IR in mid-November with a foot injury, ending his season. In the preseason, Fidone displayed very good hands, long arms, and an impressive wingspan.

However, his long, gawky body didn’t seem particularly nifty. Two ACL injuries in college pushed Fidone down to the seventh round. If he can improve his blocking, he’ll have a chance to make the team in 2026.

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Theo Johnson

Daniel Bellinger

Chris Manhertz

Thomas Fidone II

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