New York Giants 2025 Training Camp Preview: LB Chris Board

Chris Board was brought onboard to help improve one specific area for the New York Giants.

Linebacker Chris Board | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Lost in the mess of last season was the performance of the New York Giants special teams units, which lacked consistency and play makers.

Although Rick Gosselin, who had compiled the annual NFL special teams rankings for years, retired, that mantle was taken up by Bill Huber of Green Bay Packers On SI. 

In his review of the Giants special teams, headed by first-year coordinator Michael Ghobrial, the Giants’ special teams finished 20th overall, 26th in net punting, 23rd in punt returns, 20th in field goal percentage, 4th in kickoff returns, and 17th in kickoff coverage.

Focusing on the coverage units (net punting and kickoffs), there was a need for better talent to be added to the Giants special teams, which at times lacked physicality and hustle.

Enter linebacker Chris Board, a free agent signing a special teams dynamo who has spent the majority of his NFL career for the Baltimore Ravens. 

Board has played in 114 games with only four starts and has 65 career special teams tackles. For his career, he has 155 tackles (94 solos), five tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks.

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CHRIS BOARD, LB 

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 240  lbs.
• Exp.: 7 Years
• School: North Dakota State
• How Acquired: FA-25

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2024 in Review

Last season, Board finished as the Ravens’ special teams tackle leader (10,8 solo) in 2024. In fact, with only two exceptions (2020 and 2019), Board finished as either first or second on every team he’s played for in special teams tackles, recording double digits in that category in five of his seven seasons in the league.

Capable of playing on all the special teams units, Board has been deployed on special teams duties for all of the teams for which he’s played at least 70% of the snaps.  Again, he’s also capable of giving a team snaps on defense, but he was brought to the Giants to help bolster their special teams performances, particularly in coverage.

Contract/Cap Info

Board signed a two-year contract with the Giants worth $5.7 million, with $3.55 million guaranteed this past March. Besides his signing bonus ($1.5 million) being guaranteed, Board’s first-year base salary ($1.55 million) is fully guaranteed, giving him a $2.35 million cap hit for 2025.

In 2026, the final year of his deal, only $500,000 of his $2.55 million base salary is guaranteed, and he has a $3.35 million cap hit for that year. Barring anything unexpected happening, all of that guaranteed money should ensure that Board plays out the duration of his contract.

2025 Preview

Board, like linebacker Matthew Adams before him (Adams was with the Giants last year but signed with the Eagles this past offseason), can give the Giants snaps at inside linebacker if needed. 

In four of the last five seasons, he’s contributed at least 15% of his snaps on defense for the Ravens, Lions, and Patriots, his highest total coming in 2021 with the Ravens when he logged a career-high 41 tackles.

But make no mistake: his top responsibility on this team, should he make the roster, is going to be on special teams. Board is a solid tackler who has only missed 14 career special teams tackles in seven seasons, with four of those misses coming in the last three seasons. 

His sure tackling ability should help a Giants team that last year missed 27 tackles on special teams, tying the Giants for eight (with Denver and Miami) for most missed special teams tackles (27) in the league.  

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