Why Giants IOL Greg Van Roten is Worth Bringing Back for Another Season

New York Giants offensive guard Greg Van Roten is set to hit free agency next month.

Greg Van Roten, a guard with the NY Giants, speaks to the press after a practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, East Rutherford, NJ, May 28, 2025. | Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Greg Van Roten, OG

• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 295 lbs
• Age: 35
• NFL Exp.: 11 years
• College: Penn

The New York Giants needed interior offensive line help before the 2024 season, so they turned to Greg Van Roten, who had played for Giants offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo in 2023 with the Raiders.

Van Roten then re-signed after the year on a one-year deal worth $3.25M,  the second-highest annual salary of his career.

As a unit, the Giants' offensive line in 2025 had its best season in years, and Van Roten was a major part of that success.

2025 Season Recap

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants guard Greg Van Roten (74) in the tunnel against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Van Roten had the kind of year that we’ve come to expect from a player of his talent in 2025.

There were games when he played at a very high level, but even on his worst days, he was below-average rather than outright bad.

On most game days, Van Roten was perfectly average.

Usually, when the phrase “the best ability is availability” is said, it’s to talk about a player who is often unavailable.

For Van Roten, it’s the opposite. He was the only Giants offensive player to play all 1,151 offensive snaps this season, which was also the third-most snaps of any offensive player in the regular season.

Why the Giants Should Keep Him

Greg Van Roten | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

In a time where quality offensive linemen are hard to come by, Van Roten gives the Giants a stable option on the interior that rarely has a bad day.

Van Roten's durability to play every snap for the offense and do so at a higher level than most would be impressive.

Keeping Van Roten for another year would also allow the Giants to either add a young guard this offseason to learn behind him or kick the can down the road one more year.

Why the Giants Shouldn’t Keep Him

Greg Van Roten | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Van Roten will be 36 years old when the 2026 NFL season starts.

Despite the level of play he’s given the Giants over these past two seasons, there’s going to be a drop-off at some point.

If the Giants want to avoid being there when that drop-off happens, they have the opportunity to do so now.

Keep or Move On?

New York Giants guard Greg Van Roten | John Jones-Imagn Images

The Giants should look to keep Van Roten on the roster in 2026 if he chooses to continue playing, giving him at most another one-year deal, similar to what he’s been getting since coming to the Giants.

While that drop-off is inevitable, as it is for all athletes, that doesn’t mean that it’s happening this year, and even so, if the Giants look to acquire a young guard, at the very least, Van Roten could start the season at right guard before giving way to the youngster.

There were not many quality players who played all season for the Giants in 2025, and Van Roten was one of them. Unless he doesn’t wish to continue playing or just wants a change of scenery, we feel he is worth retaining.

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