No Deal, No Problem: Why the Giants Still Came Out Ahead at the NFL Trade Deadline

The Giants lacked the draft capital to make a deadline splash, but the McCarthy trade may still be their biggest win.

Oct 3, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen looks on before the NCAA football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 NFL trade deadline is officially in the books, and the New York Giants, despite numerous reports linking them to players such as Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, stood pat on the final day.

While it’s probably not the outcome the fan base (and, to a degree, the Giants themselves) hoped for, upon further review, the Giants emerge as winners for having been unable to get anything done.

Let’s recap.

The Giants Always Had an Uphill Battle as the Deadline Approached

Based on what many of the trades around the league involved, it was clear that not having a fourth- or fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft would hurt the Giants’ ability to get anything done at the last minute.

Not that they didn’t try. They reportedly had an offer on the table for Taylor that included a second-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028. But the Colts were said to want much more, perhaps underscoring that they were never serious about trading him to begin with.

Meanwhile, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Giants tried to swing a deal for Titans running back Tony Pollard, but their attempts went nowhere because Tennessee opted to keep him as support for second-year quarterback Cam Ward.

But back to the Giants’ uphill battle: teams looking to unload players apparently wanted at least one draft pick this year, which the Giants weren’t in a position to deliver. They had traded their fourth-round pick as part of the Malachi Fields draft-day trade and their fifth-round pick for quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Did the Giants Try to Get a Defensive Tackle?

Nov 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh reacts during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yes — they were known to have had interest in Jeffery Simmons, but that attempt was stonewalled. 

Both Joe Schoen and John Harbaugh said they were exploring every avenue and leaving no stone unturned. 

The clues also pointed in that direction, though the daily transaction reports show the Giants didn’t bring in any defensive linemen other than signing Dean Lowry to their practice squad.

As for where the Giants go from here at defensive tackle, the early expectation is that it will be a top need in next year’s draft, with the Giants undoubtedly hoping the quarterback class is salvageable enough that a quality defensive lineman or two gets pushed their way.

Meanwhile, Darius Alexander and Bobby Jamison-Travis have started to come along. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has determined that Jamison-Travis is far enough along in his development to handle run-game snaps, where he has flashed on several occasions, while Alexander handles the pass-rushing snaps, often with success.

The hope is that the duo, plus Lowry when needed, can carry the Giants through the rest of the season and, hopefully, into the playoffs.

If the Giants Didn’t Make a Trade, Why Are They Winners?

Nov 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy (18) leaves the field after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Simple: quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Admittedly, the Giants would have preferred not to have lost starter Jaxson Dart so early in the season. 

Still, when that happened, they sent a fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for McCarthy, a former first-round pick in dire need of a change of scenery, to reinforce what Schoen has often called “the most important position” on a football team.

McCarthy has turned in a strong sample size since being promoted to the starting job ahead of veteran Jameis Winston. Meanwhile, Minnesota had to trade for Kirk Cousins after realizing it probably should have tried to make it work with McCarthy.

But here’s where the Giants really stand to win. Assuming Dart makes a complete recovery from his season-ending knee injury, and he’s expected to, the Giants could be in a position next winter, when the trading period opens up again, to flip McCarthy to a quarterback-needy team that’s not happy with the way the current college crop at the position is taking shape.

Potential starting quarterbacks, particularly a young one like McCarthy who is still on his rookie deal, should theoretically fetch a much nicer return than what the Giants had to give up to acquire him.

The Giants could also theoretically keep both quarterbacks, who again, are on rookie contracts, if they don't get a solid enough offer and if the 2028 quarterback class looks to be weak.

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