Why It Makes Sense for Giants to Bring Back This Pending UFA Offensive Reserve

Offensive lineman Aaron Stinnie saw very limited action for the Giants in 2025, but they could still use his experience at the guard position.

Nov 3, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants guard Aaron Stinnie (64) warms up before the game against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Aaron Stinnie, OL

• Height: 6-foot-3
• Weight: 312 lbs.
• Age: 31
• NFL Exp: 8 Years
• College: James Madison

As the New York Giants look ahead to their biggest roster needs to satisfy during the offseason, a lot of the attention on the offensive line is being paid towards the bookends. The guard position, however, is thinner than most people realize, and that position just so happens to have a member set to hit free agency.

That would be Aaron Stinnie. Stinnie is an eight-year NFL veteran who signed with the Giants on March 15, 2024, as a free agent addition to the team's offensive line reboot. 

Before joining New York, the James Madison product started his career as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans, where he spent most of his time as a backup or practice squad player.

He left the Titans in the middle of the 2019 season and was quickly picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who used him in two of their remaining games that year. In the 2020 season, Stinnie's workload rose to six games, including his first-ever start in the divisional round of the playoffs amid the Buccaneers' run to a title in Super Bowl LV.

The following season saw Stinnie re-signed to a one-year deal and appear in another six games, including one start, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury that landed him on injured reserve. Tampa Bay would still re-sign him, but the injury woes continued with a torn ACL in the preseason that wiped away his entire 2022 campaign.

Stinnie's most productive season came in 2023, when he returned from rehabbing his latest injury and played in 13 games (11 starts) for the Buccaneers. He logged 851 total snaps, but allowed three sacks and 32 pressures, which was the third-most given up on the Buccaneers' offensive line.

In his first season with the Giants, Stinnie appeared in 193 offensive snaps, all of those coming at left guard from Weeks 14 through 18 after starter Jon Runyan Jr landed on injured reserve with a shoulder ailment. In those 193 snaps, Stinnie allowed just seven total pressures (zero sacks), playing reasonably well enough that he was brought back for a second season.

In 2025, Stinnie’s place on the roster seemed less certain, mainly because the Giants intended to shift failed first-round draft pick Evan Neal from tackle to guard. Had that experiment been successful, Stinnie might very well have been the odd man out. But that turned out not to be the case, as Neal was banished to the inactive list and eventually placed on IR.

Stinnie, however, didn’t get on the field with the offense much, playing in just 61 snaps, 56 of those coming in a Week 16 start against the Vikings when Runyan missed the game due to the birth of his first child. Stinnie’s reduced action was largely due to both Runyan and Greg Van Roten, the two starting guards, staying healthy.

2025 Recap

Aug 16, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19) celebrates his touchdown run with guard Aaron Stinnie (64) against the New York Jets during the second half at MetLife Stadium. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

The Giants re-signed veteran Greg Van Roten last offseason to retain his job as the team's starting right guard, and he was being backed up by Evan Neal during his attempted transition to that position, leaving Aaron Stinnie somewhat buried in the depth chart to open the 2025 season.

Stinnie dressed for all 17 games, but saw the field just six times with five appearances, logging just one snap in the rare opportunities when the Giants elected to go into jumbo packages and needed some extra beef on the end of the offensive front.

The one week when Stinnie was granted the starting role came in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings, when he played 56 total snaps and allowed only 1 pressure. He was penalized three times in that game alone, earning him a pass blocking efficiency score of 97.4.

Why the Giants Should Keep Him

Jul 25, 2024; East Rutherford, NY, USA; New York Giants offensive guard Aaron Stinnie (64) takes a water break with teammates during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The Giants can't put a premium on the value of experience when it comes to building and improving a strong offensive line from one season to the next, and Stinnie is a player who would bring that to the guard position if he were retained.

Throughout his eight years as a pro, Stinnie has amassed just over 1,000 snaps, mostly at left guard with a sprinkle of reps on the opposite side, meaning he could offer some positional versatility as well. The Giants have really looked for that trait in many of their recent linemen acquisitions.

Stinnie has also been a pretty good run blocker, including his 68.5 PFF grade this past season, which ranked second-best of his career and third-best among the entire Giants offensive line.

Most importantly, the Giants' guard room isn't in the greatest situation in terms of depth under contract for the 2026 season. Other than Stinnie, the team also has Evan Neal and Joshua Ezeudu, two more guys who have been on standby for guard duty and two guys who are entering free agency next month.

That would leave New York with two Runyan as a returning starter (assuming he’s not a cap cut) and only a couple practice squad pieces in Jake Kubas and Reid Holskey, making the idea of retaining Stinnie not a bad one.  

Why the Giants Shouldn't Keep Him

Jul 24, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants guard Aaron Stinnie (64) talks with media during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Facility. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Anytime one talks about offensive linemen and injuries, it's a red flag for a position group that demands durability for the team to be successful. Stinnie has had his fair share of injury woes, and that would be detrimental to the Giants' goals if he were re-signed and then fell victim to another ailment that keeps him on the sidelines.

The Giants ranked 11th in team pass block win rate last season, but a majority of their pressures (75) allowed came from the interior. Stinnie hasn't been the greatest pass protector when he has earned extended time on the field, and that's something that could hurt his chances of returning to the team.

Keep or Move On?

NY Giants players Tommy DeVito, Aaron Stinnie and Joshua Ezeudu are shown after practice at Quest Diagnostics Giants Training Center, East Rutherford, NJ, May 28, 2025. | Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Entering the offseason, it feels like the Giants are stuck between a rock and a hard place as it pertains to how they can improve the interior of their offensive line. They want to be competitive in recruiting upgrades, but don't have a lot of cap space at this moment to do that in free agency.

Restructures and other moves will be made to help their cause as much as possible. In the meantime, it might make sense for the Giants to cut their losses and re-sign Stinnie on another cheap veteran deal just to ensure they have a body to help carve out their depth for the 2026 season.

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