Harbaugh Era Begins: 3 Key Giants Miss Opening Day, Including One 'Unexplained' Absence

While Dexter Lawrence’s holdout was expected, cornerback Paulson Adebo’s absence sounded like it wasn't.

New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo was among the three players whom head coach John Harbaugh confirmed did not attend the opening of the offseason program. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The had near-perfect attendance for their first day of the offseason program under new head coach John Harbaugh.

Only three players missed: Dexter Lawrence, who is staying away to protest his contract; defensive lineman Sam Roberts, who is recovering from surgery and not yet cleared to travel until his stitches heal; and cornerback Paulson Adebo.

Harbaugh said he anticipated Lawrence’s absence, knowing the player was unhappy with his pay and possible trade situation.

Roberts, as already noted, was also on a planned absence. Harbaugh did not go into what kind of surgery the defensive lineman had or how long the player might be delayed from joining the team.

Adebo’s reason for missing was not communicated to Harbaugh, who suggested the player had not shared his plans.

“It’s his right. It’s his reason. Whatever his reason is, I’ll be interested to hear it,” Harbaugh said.

Adebo is entering the second year of the three-year, $54 million contract he signed last offseason as an unrestricted free agent. The deal includes annual workout bonuses of $250,000 per year if the player meets a specific percentage of the planned offseason activities.

The cornerback’s first season was a rocky one, both in terms of performance and health. Adebo was limited to 12 games due to a knee injury, playing in just 68.1% of the defensive snaps. He finished with just eight pass breakups, one interception, and 73 tackles while recording just one tackle for loss.

This year, Adebo has a $24.199 million cap hit, which includes a $17.25 million base salary. Adebo’s 2026 cap figure is the and his $18 million APY puts him 15th among cornerbacks.  

'It is what it is.'

Adebo, like any other player on any other team, is within his rights to skip the offseason program, as it is voluntary under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Typically, though, unless there is a valid reason for doing so, skipping the program, particularly when one has a new head coach, is not a good look, though again, it’s unknown why Adebo missed the opening day or if he intends to show up later in the week.

Whatever the case, Harbaugh didn’t offer any hint that he was annoyed with Adebo’s unexplained absence from the initial day of meetings.

“It is what it is. It’s OK,” Harbaugh said.

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