NY Giants Best and Worst Free Agent Signings of 2025

Free agency can be a gift or a curse for a team looking to make a quick major jump, but unfortunately for the New York Giants, they were one of those teams cursed in 2025.

The highs were not the highest, but the lows bottomed out with their free-agent signings.

Their two big money signings were in the defensive backfield. Paulson Adebo played in only 12 games, and while he was not bad, he did not meet the expectations of many onlookers.

Safety Jevon Holland played in 14 games and had a similar year to the 2024 season in Miami, which did not get him re-signed by the Dolphins.

Still, neither was the biggest disappointment, but there were some guys Big Blue Nation should feel good about having, given how much they cost and the value they bring.

And of course, there are others that they should forget about.

Best Signings

DT Roy Robertson-Harris

New York Giants defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Roy Robertson-Harris had one of his best seasons in 2025 with the Giants. His statistics matched years with the Jaguars and the Bears, where he received far more in-game snaps than he did with the Giants.

He was brought in as a quality depth piece, and he started all 17 games this season. He played in 56% of the defensive snaps.

He was next to Dexter Lawrence and would even replace him when he needed a blow. He finished with 35 tackles, the third-highest total of his nine-year career.

Robertson-Harris had three tackles for loss and six quarterback hits. He was also a great example for rookie defensive tackle Darius Alexander.

Robertson-Harris’s value as a versatile interior lineman can not be understated. His two-year, $9 million contract only gets better in year two because of how cheap it is.

Even if Alexander ascends to a starting role in 2026, he should still be a great depth piece in this new revamped defense.

He can back up both interior spots as well as play head up or shaded outside of the tackle in any run-stopping scheme. This was a low-key move that did not get much fanfare, but it was truly effective.

DE Chauncey Golston

New York Giants defensive end Chauncey Golston | John Jones-Imagn Images

Chauncey Golston spent the first portion of the football season injured, which was unfortunate because it messed up the opportunity for the Giants to create all of these funky pass-rush lineups they intended.

He was also missed because that lack of depth meant you had to play the starters and the rookie Abdul Carter more, which may have led to Kayvon Thibodeaux's injury that cost him the back half of the season.

Once he finally did return to the lineup, you can see why the Giants paid him $18 million over three years. He has that rare size and athleticism combination that makes him hard to deal with as an outside rusher and a legitimate interior option.

Unlike the other edge rushers on the team, who are slightly undersized but can hold up on the edges, when they line up inside, they are nothing more than pass rush specialists.

Whereas, Golston should be a viable option to take on the run. Fans should be excited about a fully healthy Golston in the lineup, which would give the team four legitimate outside rushers with the flexibility to move them all over the place.

QB Jameis Winston

Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Never has a backup quarterback been as important to team culture as Jameis Winston has been with the Giants. His energy and inspiration instantly make him a team favorite, and his willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team win (and help his teammates improve) is admirable.

The best thing about having Winston as a Giant is that his energy, temperament, and—to a large extent—the way he plays the game are similar to Jaxson Dart.

He serves as a great mentor to a young quarterback navigating the trials and tribulations of being a first-round draft pick. Who better to lean on than a former number one overall pick with high expectations?

Don't get it twisted: Winston is a ball player and still considers himself a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL.

He stays ready so he doesn't have to get ready. When it was his turn to step in and perform, he did so with the flair and effectiveness unique to Winston.

Worst Signings

QB Russell Wilson

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Wilson signing never made sense from the beginning. The Giants have already signed veteran signal-caller Jameis Winston to a two-year, extremely team-friendly deal. Why spend more money on another one?

Then we were informed that the plan was to give Wilson the starting job in 2025, not compete for it. So once the preseason games started and we saw all three quarterbacks after Wilson perform infinitely better, people started asking questions.

Three starts, three interceptions, and three losses later, the Giants decided to speed up Jaxson Dart's timetable.

It was a questionable move from the start, even if they did not get Dart in the draft. Tommy DeVito was still on the roster with three years of experience in the system, and Winston.

The moment they drafted Dart, it would make the Wilson situation more difficult. Add to that, they essentially wasted $10 million that they could have used to sign another legit linebacker, receiver, or higher-level defensive tackle.

With so many ways to use that type of money, almost anything would have helped the team more than signing Wilson.

OT James Hudson

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle James Hudson III (55) is called for a unnecessary roughness after a play against Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (54) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Hudson had a decent performance throughout the preseason. But once it was clear that Andrew Thomas would not be ready for the beginning of the season,

Hudson needed to be more than decent. He needed to be a solid veteran presence that could hold the fort until Thomas returned, then serve as a high-quality backup whenever needed.

Hudson was just okay in the season opener. However, in Game 2, everything imploded. Hudson committed four penalties in six plays: two false start penalties and two personal foul penalties.

Rookie swing lineman Marcus Mbow replaced him. It ended up being the last time Hudson would see the field in any meaningful capacity for the rest of the season.

One would hope to get more out of a two-year, $12 million contract player, especially since he's likely to get cut before the 2026 season.

That money could have been used more wisely than it was. Hindsight is 20/20, but it is not like teams were banging down the door to bring Hudson in.

LB Chris Board

New York Giants linebacker Chris Board | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For seven seasons, Chris Board was the model of consistency as a special teamer. He always showed up and always amassed close to, if not more than, 80% of the special teams snaps during the season.

It is why many were excited that the Giants brought him in as a potential special-teams ace. Unfortunately, that was not the fate for Board, who played exactly two games and 47 snaps before his season was cut short.

This is a case of bad luck, but it's bad luck with a veteran player whose body just may not be where it needs to be to withstand the rigors of special teams play.

His money may have been better spent on a young, hungry first- or second-year linebacker they could have groomed as a special-teamer while also bringing value to the 2- and 3-deep on defense.

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