Should Giants Re-sign Pending UFA Interior Offensive Lineman Austin Schlottmann?

Austin Schlottmann provided quality depth for the New York Giants in 2025, but does it pay for him to be re-signed?

New York Giants interior offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Austin Schlottmann, IOL

• Height: 6-6
• Weight: 300 lbs.
• Age: 30
• NFL Exp.: 7 Years
• College: TCU

Before the 2024 season, the New York Giants brought in veteran Austin Schlottmann not just to provide depth but also to compete for a playing opportunity.

When Schlottmann signed, it was for a two-year contract worth $2.975 million with just $500K guaranteed. Schlottmann offered versatility as an interior offensive lineman, having played most of his career snaps at center, but also having worked at both guard positions, with more of a lean toward the right side. 

He missed his first season with the Giants after suffering a broken leg before the team’s Week 1 game in 2024, but he did return later that season.

After the team brought back Greg Van Roten, who could also play center as he had during the 2024 season when starter John Michal Schmitz was injured, it was thought that maybe Schlottmann would be one-and-done.

That was not the case, though, as the Giants, perhaps out of concern that they didn’t have much depth at guard, where a huge dropoff would ensue if they had to move Van Roten, left the Long Island native at guard all season long and held onto Schlottmann. And to Schlottmann’s credit, he delivered when called upon.

2025 Season Recap

Austin Schlottmann | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Schlottmann spent most of the 2025 season as a backup but was thrown into significant action in seven games with four starts. For the first season in his career, all of Schlottmann’s snaps came at center. 

Schlottmann allowed just three pressures in his 194 pass-blocking snaps, elite from a production standpoint.

He also played a career-high 363 snaps on offense, finishing with the best PFF grades of his career: 70.8 overall, 69.8 in run blocking, and 77.0 in pass blocking.

Schlottmann wasn’t as consistently efficient as Schmitz, but he played smart positional ball and ran the offense like a well-oiled machine. 

At 30 years old, Schlottmann has a lot to offer a team looking for a starting center. He’s got legit starting size, he’s very smart, he can also play guard, and he has a lot of experience.  

Why the Giants Should Keep Him

Austin Schlottmann | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Starting center John Michael Schmitz has yet to stay healthy enough to play a full 17-game season in the NFL.

Schlottmann is an option that could step in at any time and give the Giants quality snaps on the interior.

While 2025 saw him play exclusively at center, Schlottmann has played at least a snap at guard in every other year of his career - in multiple years, both guard spots.

Offensive line development, across all levels of football, is in a heavy downswing right now.

Most NFL teams don't have reliable depth at any spot on the line. The Giants having Schlottmann available is an advantage.

Why the Giants Shouldn’t Keep Him

Austin Schlottmann | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Schlottmann will likely be able to command a bit more of a salary in 2026, as well as another multi-year contract.

With Schmitz coming up on a contract year, the Giants could look to go in another direction for their depth.

Keep or Move On?

Schlottmann is a player that the Giants should undoubtedly look to retain for 2026. His quality snaps at center, as well as his versatility, make him a valuable option on the interior for any team.

The bigger question that could put a fly in the ointment is whether he wants a starting job, and if there is one to be had that could lure him away from the Giants. Right now, no such job exists with the Giants.

With some very early speculation that the Giants might reach out to pending Ravens free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum, at best, any center could hope for if they wanted to come to the Giants is a backup role.

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