Daniel Bellinger was supposed to be a pretty safe roster lock heading into 2025. He was the glue guy. The fallback option after Darren Waller’s sudden retirement in 2023 and the veteran who would help bridge the gap between the youth movement and a room full of role players. But somewhere over the last two offseasons, Joe Schoen reshaped the tight end room, and now the 24-year-old former fourth-rounder (pick No. 112 in 2022 out of San Diego State) could be on the outside looking in.
It’s not as if Bellinger forgot how to play football. He’s done his job. But that job has slowly been phased out. The Giants drafted Theo Johnson in 2024 to be a field-stretching pass catcher. They scooped up Greg Dulcich off waivers, who’s now flashing in camp and making plays in preseason games. Chris Manhertz was signed to handle the heavy lifting as a run blocker. And then, just for good measure, they added rookie Thomas Fidone II in the seventh round this past spring.
That’s five tight ends. The 53-man roster math was never going to be kind. And with Bellinger’s production all but disappearing and a potential $3.4 million in cap relief, the writing might already be on the wall.
Daniel Bellinger is firmly on roster bubble ahead of final cuts
The noise is getting louder about his fit moving forward, and CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr didn’t hold back when listing Bellinger among the 14 NFL veterans in danger of being cut before rosters are finalized:
"The Giants have a good starting tight end in Theo Johnson, while Greg Dulcich has impressed in camp. Chris Manhertz is essentially a roster lock as well. That makes Bellinger in a roster battle with seventh-round rookie Thomas Fidone – if the Giants keep four tight ends.
Bellinger went from potential starter to cut candidate in a span of a month.”
It’s not hard to see where he's coming from. His 2024 season ended with just 14 receptions for 125 yards. He hasn’t scored since his rookie season. And despite being active for all 17 games last year, he was only targeted 17 times. Add in the $3.4 million cap hit, the highest of any Giants tight end, and the decision becomes a business one just as much as it is football.
There’s always a chance a real late push changes things. Injuries can still reshuffle the depth chart. And Bellinger’s blocking still holds value if the team opts to keep four tight ends.
But if Dulcich keeps making plays and Fidone flashes just enough to stash, the G-Men may decide the future is better off without the guy who used to be the fallback plan. It would be a tough exit, but at this point, not necessarily a surprising one.