I’m not trying to speak it into existence, but I’m not not trying to. All I’m saying is that 26-year-old developmental quarterback Joe Milton III is hanging out all by himself on the waiver wire, just waiting for the New York Giants to put in a claim for him.
There weren’t many surprises when Big Blue trimmed its roster down to 53 on Sunday. Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys apparently didn't get the memo -- classic -- and decided to provide one, waiving Milton less than 24 hours after he initially made their team.
New York only kept two quarterbacks on the active roster: Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston. Third-stringer Jake Haener was waived on Sunday before returning to the practice squad Monday. With Winston’s contract expiring after the 2026 season and Dart’s concussion history not going away anytime soon, taking a flyer on Milton after his dominant preseason might start making more sense than anyone could have imagined.
Of course, if they claim him, that means someone on the 53-man roster’s gotta go. Here are four players who might make some sense as the unfortunate sacrifice.
4 Giants who could lose their roster spot if New York claims Joe Milton
Elijah Campbell, SAF
Elijah Campbell always felt like one of those guys who could make the initial roster and still spend the next few days sleeping with one eye open.
The 31-year-old earned his spot almost exclusively because of his special teams ability, which obviously carries some weight with head coach John Harbaugh. He’s buried in a safety room with Jevón Holland, Tyler Nubin, Jason Pinnock, and Ar’Darius Washington in front of him, so snaps on defense aren’t exactly going to be easy to find.
That makes Campbell a pretty obvious place to look if NY suddenly needs a spot for Milton. He’s a special teams ace sitting at the bottom of a position group that could easily carry four bodies instead of five.
Nic Jones, CB
Nobody benefited from Art Green’s unfortunate late-preseason injury quite like Nic Jones.
Green’s injury designation opened the door for Jones to sneak onto the initial 53 as the team's sixth cornerback, giving the 24-year-old another season in East Rutherford after spending much of 2025 bouncing between the active roster and practice squad.
The problem is that sixth corners aren’t exactly untouchable.
Jones brings most of his value on special teams, and with Harbs loading the roster with guys who can contribute there, that skill set carries less weight. If the Giants believe Milton has a legitimate chance to develop into their long-term QB2, sacrificing a third-phase guy who moonlights as a corner seems like a no-brainer.
Chris Manhertz, TE
The G-Men decided to carry four tight ends on their initial 53-man roster, five if you count fullback Patrick “Pancake Pat” Ricard, who frequently lines up at tight end. It’s actually because of Pancake Pat that Manhertz could be expendable.
Manhertz practically serves as a 6-foot-6, 235-pound extra offensive lineman. He is not known as a receiving threat, with just 30 career receptions for 308 yards and three touchdowns in 10 seasons. Since he’s pretty one-dimensional and Ricard can handle plenty of that blocking work himself, Manhertz’s role suddenly feels a little redundant.
Moving on from him while keeping Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, and Thomas Fidone II would give New York a young and intriguing tight end room while opening a spot for a developmental quarterback with long-term backup/spot-starter potential.
The 34-year-old has been the ultimate team player for Big Blue over the past two years, but roster spots are precious. Unfortunately, sometimes roster cutdowns are where a man hurts.
Devin Singletary, RB
Speaking of position groups overflowing with bodies, the Giants’ running back room is filled to the brim with Devin "Motor" Singletary, Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Najee Harris.
Skatt figures to lead the backfield, while Tracy gives the offense a more explosive option. Then there’s Harris, who New York didn’t bring in this late in the offseason to watch from the sideline. That leaves Singletary in a pretty awkward spot.
Motor still has value as a veteran back, so the Giants should at least explore the trade market before releasing him outright. If general manager Joe Schoen can flip Singletary for a Day 3 draft pick while opening a roster spot for Milton, even better.
Of course, all of these guys are safe for now because New York has to actually get Milton first. The Giants sit fifth in the waiver order, meaning the Raiders, Jets, Cardinals, and Titans all get first dibs. If Big Blue puts in a claim, they’ll have to wait and see if Milton falls all the way into their lap.
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