As we grind through the dog days of the NFL offseason, building out our comprehensive 90-man roster breakdown has become a labor of love. Every single spot on the fringe of the roster matters, and history shows that an overlooked name in June can easily become a crucial contributor by January.
If you've been following along with this series over the last few weeks (I've taken a break from this for a while, but I'm so back) you've already seen our deep dives into the uphill battles facing defenders like Darius Muasau and Beau Brade, as well as the long-shot offensive journeys of guys like Dalen Cambre and Eric Gray. Today’s guy is trying to force his way into the picture early with a brand new staff.
So here’s where Thomas Fidone II stands right now.
- Two torn ACLs and still standing
- Thomas the numbers-game engine
- Book your appointments with Tommy Tatz today
Two torn ACLs and still standing
Every roster has guys who check the usual boxes, but sometimes, football, at its core, requires a few players who are simply cut from a different cloth.
Long before he was taken by the G-Men with the 219th pick in the 2025 Draft, Fidone was busy proving to the football world that he was built different. Coming out of high school as a four-star recruit (consensus No. 1 tight end in the class), his career at Nebraska was immediately derailed by terrible luck, suffering back-to-back torn ACLs before he could even get going.
Instead of letting the surgeries break his spirit or ruin his NFL dreams, Fidone refused to give up hope, fought his way back onto the field for the Cornhuskers, and eventually forced his way onto an NFL roster. The 23-year-old plays exactly how you'd expect a massive 6-foot-5, 243-pounder to play: physically. He's a willing blocker, who doesn’t mind a little contact, mixing it up in the ground game and finishing through defenders.
Thomas the numbers-game engine
He’s going to have to stand out if he wants to make the 53. New head coach John Harbaugh is a tight ends truther, so it's no surprise that the 63-year-old quickly addressed the room in a major way this offseason. There's now a $40 million elephant sitting at the top of the depth chart named Isaiah Likely. Likely followed Harbs from Baltimore to New York to become the de facto No. 1 tight end option for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
But the numbers game only gets trickier with Theo Johnson heading into a big Year 3 after a strong sophomore season, and with the team's decision to bring back veteran inline blocking specialist Chris Manhertz.
With Likely, Johnson, and Manhertz occupying defined roles, Fidone is looking at a roster squeeze only an orange could understand. Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy love to use multiple tight end sets, meaning a path to the roster exists, but Fidone will have to prove he's worthy of taking another player's spot if they want to carry four tight ends.
Book your appointments with Tommy Tatz today
While most people picked up baking sourdough or learning the latest TikTok dance during the dark days of COVID-19, Fidone decided to buy a tattoo gun and use himself for practice.
He taught himself how to ink by tattooing his own legs, quickly earning the legendary locker room nickname "Tommy Tatz." Honestly, if someone has the pain tolerance to use their own legs as a sketchpad just because they're bored in lockdown, a couple of torn ACLs never stood a chance. His gritty attitude -- along with a little bit of madness -- is exactly what the Giants need fighting for a backend roster spot. Give me the unhinged guys.
For what it's worth, I just got my leg sleeve and I'm now wishing Tommy Tatz hooked me up... maybe next time.
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