A breakdown of the top five New York Giants contracts most at risk under a new coaching staff, using cap impact and roster context to explain who could be on the move.
The New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll following a 2-8 start to the 2024 season. Daboll had quick success when he became the head coach for the Giants; he was named AP Coach of the Year for the 2022 season after guiding the Giants to a surprising playoff berth. Brian Daboll finished his Giants head-coaching tenure with a 31-35-1 regular-season record and a 1-1 record in the playoffs.
Replacing Daboll is long time Ravens head coach John Harbaugh who signed an eye popping $100 million deal. The Giants are hoping Harbaugh will bring a long track record of success to a team that has lacked it. As of this writing, the Giants are keeping General Manager Joe Schoen. However, if the Giants struggle this year I imagine Harbaugh will want to bring in someone he trusts.
The #Giants will spend the morning finalizing a 5-year deal with former #Ravens coach John Harbaugh, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches. But Harbaugh has accepted the job, as the first opening is filled. pic.twitter.com/AG8s3tpPyz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 15, 2026
National insider for NFL Ian Rapoport announced the Giants hire of HC John Harbaugh
While front-office resets often bring immediate turnover, the Giants’ situation is much more layered. With Joe Schoen remaining in place, some players may be retained, but contracts and performance will ultimately determine who survives the transition. Also relevant to roster decisions are the coordinators Harbaugh hires. Does he bring in OC Todd Monken and DC Zach Orr? The Harbaugh brothers cannot seem to quit Greg Roman and Roman would be a fun match with Cam Skattebo.
Below are four players most likely not to be on the roster next season, along with one surprise name you may not expect.
RB Devin Singletary signed a 3yr $16.5M contract with the New York Giants during the 2024 free agency period. Singletary had built-in familiarity with the coaching staff, as both Daboll and Schoen were in Buffalo when he was drafted by the Bills in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft. Singletary was brought in after the Giants elected to let Saquon Barkley test free agency, a decision that ultimately led to Barkley signing with division rival Philadelphia. For the "any RB can be replaced crew," this was not a good look and a black eye for the front office decision-making ability, as all of America was able to watch this snafu happen during Hard Knocks Offseason with the Giants.
Singletary was meant to be a bridge fill for Barkley, but had a pedestrian 1st season with the team, where he played in 15 games and recorded 113 carries, 437 rushing yards, and 4 touchdowns. This past season, he was an afterthought in the offense after the emergence of rookie RB Cam Skattebo and the sophomore season of Tyrone Tracy.
Devin Singletary now enters the final year of the contract he signed in free agency. According to Spotrac, his cap hit for the 2026 season is scheduled to be roughly $6.5M. If the Giants were to release Singletary, they would save $5.2M in cap savings. Ahead of the anticipated salary cap increase in the new league year, the Giants are projected to have roughly $12 million in available cap space. The Giants already have sufficient depth at running back, and the incoming coaching staff is unlikely to have any prior familiarity with Devin Singletary. I fully expect Singletary to be a cap casualty, and based on our contract risk meter tool, we list Singletary as a high risk.
WR Darius Slayton was drafted by the New York Giants in the 5th round (171st overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. The New York Giants decided to re-sign Slayton when he became a free agent in the 2023 free agency period. He signed a 2yr contract worth about $12M, including $4.9M guaranteed and a $9M signing bonus. The Giants then later extended Slayton last offseason, where he agreed to a new 3yr $36M contract, including roughly $22M guaranteed and a $9M signing bonus. Outside Slayton's promising rookie season, his performance in the NFL has been subpar. As a rookie, in 14 games, he recorded 84 targets, 48 receptions, 740 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns. Since then, over 6 seasons, he has failed to eclipse 50 receptions or four touchdowns in any single year.
Darius Slayton has primarily functioned as a role player in the offense, with his extended usage largely driven by the Giants’ lack of depth at wide receiver. While Joe Schoen remains the general manager for now, the new coaching staff will ultimately determine whether Slayton continues to have a role in the offense. According to Spotrac, if the Giants were to cut Slayton with a post-June 1st designation, the Giants would save roughly $3.2M in cap space. Ultimately, the Slayton extension looks like a misstep. Even though the cap savings from moving on would be modest, the Giants are likely to move him as they reshape the wide receiver room around star WR Malik Nabers.
LB Bobby Okereke signed with the New York Giants during the 2023 free agency period when he signed a 4yr $40M contract, which included a $12M signing bonus and over $21M guaranteed. Okereke was brought in to be the starting MLB for the team and he has maintained that role since he joined the team back in 2023.
Over the past three seasons, Okereke has led the team in total tackles, piling up 385 combined tackles. Okereke is entering the final year of his contract, where he carries a $14.4M cap hit. According to Spotrac, if the Giants were to cut Okereke prior to March 13th, they would save $8.9M in cap space.
Okereke has been a productive player for the Giants, but I believe that with a new coaching staff will elect to cut Okereke and take the savings. Okereke is 29 years old, and I could envision the Giants trying to go younger at the position. However, LB Micah McFadden is a free agent this offseason. So if they were to cut Okereke, they would have to replace both starting LBs. Based on our contract risk meter tool, we list Okereke as a high risk.
This one may come to a surprise to you, but it may be time for the Giants to trade DE Kayvon Thibodeaux. There is no way that they will cut him because he is currently playing under the 5th year option which is fully guaranteed. The Giants drafted Thibodeaux early in the 2022 draft when he was selected 5th overall. When he was drafted, there was a lot of optimism that they found their star pass rusher. Unfortunately, Thibodeaux has been a disappointment, and they have had to look for other options to supplement the pass rush.
The Giants traded for DE Brian Burns ahead of the 2024 league year when they traded a 2nd and two 5th round picks in order to acquire him. They then extended Burns to a 5yr $141M contract, including $87.5M guaranteed. The Giants were not done: they added even more talent to the edge rusher room when they took DE Abdul Carter in the 2025 draft 4th overall.
Thibodeaux showed real promise in his second season, recording 50 total tackles and 11.5 sacks. Since then, injuries have limited him to 12 and 10 games, respectively, over the past two seasons. Production has fallen off, as he’s recorded just 7.5 sacks over the past two seasons while averaging roughly 27 combined tackles. Last offseason, trade speculation surrounded Thibodeaux, but the Giants ultimately chose to retain him and exercise his fifth-year option. A trade still wouldn’t be surprising, and he currently carries a medium risk designation in our contract risk meter tool. If moved, New York would likely need to absorb a portion of his contract as dead cap.
DT Dexter Lawrence was selected 17th overall by the New York Giants in the 1st round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Since being drafted by the Giants, Lawrence has been a cornerstone player for the franchise. During the 2024 season, Lawrence played at a Defensive Player of the Year level, recording 44 total tackles, 9 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. His season was ultimately cut short after he dislocated his elbow, forcing him to miss the final five games and land on injured reserve.
Fast forward to this past season, and Lawrence did not resemble the dominant player he had been the year prior. It marked the worst statistical season of his seven-year career, as he finished all 17 games with career lows of 31 total tackles and just 0.5 sacks. Was the drop-off the result of lingering effects from his injury and recovery, or does it signal that Lawrence may be entering a decline?
Dexter Lawrence has 2yrs remaining in the 4yr contract extension that he signed worth $90M, including $60M guaranteed. According to Spotrac, if the Giants were to release Lawrence prior to June 1st, they would save a whopping $13M in cap space. Lawrence is a traditional NT in a 3-4 defense and this is a logical fit for the defensive scheme that Harbaugh had in Baltimore. At 28yrs old, Lawrence should have some solid years ahead of him. If his drop-off last season was due to lingering effects of the injury then I think he could stay. But if the new coaching regime views this as a sign of what's to come, I think it is in the realm of possibility that he gets cut in order to save cap space.
The Giants finished the 2025 season at 4–13, landing the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They also ended the year last in the NFC East and are projected to have $11.9 million in cap space.
The Giants have a lot to be hopeful for with the emergence of rookie QB Jaxson Dart. They also have cornerstone players like WR Malik Nabers, DE Abdul Carter, RB Cam Skattebo, and DE Brian Burns who finished 2nd in sacks this season with 16.5 sacks. This alone made this head coaching vacancy more enticing compared to some of the other open coaching vacancies around the league.
New York faces a defining offseason, where roster decisions and cap management will shape the team’s future. John Harbaugh has been one of the most successful coaches in the NFL over the past decade. With limited cap space and a top draft pick, the Giants must align the roster around players who matter most, making it crucial to build on the momentum created by Dart’s success.
Want to see which players face contract risk across the rest of the NFL? Check out our contract risk meter tool and keep an eye out for our upcoming series breaking down teams undergoing front-office changes.
Steve Falco
Admin HQ
