Giants Add Return Specialists Braxton Berrios, Charlie Jones to Roster

New York promoted both return men from the practice squad in a flurry of Tuesday roster moves, including the release of receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

New York Giants wide receiver Braxton Berrios | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Giants made a flurry of roster moves Tuesday, most of them at wide receiver.

The team released receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in what was a mutual parting of ways. They then signed receivers Braxton Berrios and Charlie Jones from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, the extra roster spot created when the team put outside linebacker Brian Burns on IR with a torn ACL.

The Berrios signing comes as no surprise. Berrios has served as the team’s punt and kickoff returner for the first three games, having been elevated from the practice squad the maximum of three times.

The 30-year-old Berrios has returned five kickoffs this season for 138 yards (27.6 avg.) and two punts for 12 yards (6.0 avg.).

The Giants’ average starting field position when Berrios has returned a kickoff has been their own 31.4-yard line, and their average starting field position following a Berrios punt has been their own 32.5-yard line.

Berrios has also had limited snaps on offense, having run 12 routes. He has yet to see a pass target, however.

Jones signed to the Giants' practice squad on September 1 after spending the summer with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was a fourth-round draft pick out of Purdue in 2023.

As a receiver, Jones has eight career receptions for 69 yards and 13 rushing yards on two carries.

Like Berrios, Jones is a return specialist who can handle both punts and kickoffs.

He has three career returns for touchdowns (one punt, two kickoffs), including a league-leading 100-yard kickoff return recorded in 2024. Overall, Jones has 50 career punt returns for 462 yards and 47 kickoff returns for 1,284 yards.  

In addition to the roster transactions, the team signed defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher to their practice squad. Mustipher, who played his college ball for Penn State, had a tryout for the Giants on Monday.

Before that, he had stints with the Broncos, who initially signed him as an undrafted free agent; the Saints; the Eagles; and, most recently, the Cardinals, who come to town on Sunday to face the Giants.

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