Former Giants castoff just made the most of a second chance no one expected

You need a good setback for a great comeback.
Aug 21, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Jashaun Corbin (25) gains yards after the catch against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Aug 21, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Jashaun Corbin (25) gains yards after the catch against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Giants fans might have another Saquon Barkley experience on their hands... well, not exactly, but there are some parallels.

Back in 2023, the Giants let running back Jashaun Corbin go. That’s not really a headline — it happens all the time. He was an undrafted free agent in 2022 who never found much traction on the active roster, bouncing between New York and Carolina before quietly being waived with an injury designation not two summers ago. If you blinked, you missed his entire Giants career.

But apparently, leaving the G-Men is the best thing that can happen to a running back these days. First it was Saquon Barkley, who dropped a 2,005-yard masterpiece on the NFL and walked off with a Super Bowl ring. Now it’s Corbin — the former afterthought who just led the UFL in rushing yards and earned himself another shot in the NFL.

The Atlanta Falcons scooped him up after workouts with multiple teams. It was well-deserved. Corbin was electric for the San Antonio Brahmas, leading the league with 514 rushing yards and adding nearly 400 more as a receiver and returner. He was named to the All-UFL Team and became the first player this season to parlay a dominant spring showing into a contract with an NFL team.

Former Giants RB Jashaun Corbin lands second shot in Atlanta after lighting up UFL

Corbin didn’t exactly get a real shot in New York. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad. Then he was waived, picked up by Carolina, re-signed by the Giants midseason, and used mostly on special teams. He left behind just one carry for one yard and three catches for twelve — barely a blip in blue.

But there were some flashes that he could eventually become a legitimate NFL player, and anyone who watched Florida State during his final season knows the juice he runs with. Corbin has always had great leg drive and enough burst to punish defenses in space. The issue was never talent. It was timing and opportunity. It was being buried on the depth chart or suffering untimely injuries.

Now he’ll fight for the RB3 job in Atlanta, and he might just be a really solid fit. The Falcons don’t need a running back, but they’re not afraid to stack strengths. Corbin won’t beat out Bijan Robinson or Tyler Allgeier for any reps, but if he can flash again in the return game and show up in preseason, the door’s wide open for a return to the Shield.

If history’s any indicator, maybe all Corbin needed was to get as far away from the Meadowlands as possible. It worked out for Saquon. Who’s to say it can’t work out for him?

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