The New York Giants may be headed in the right direction after hiring John Harbaugh, but they're still paying for their past mistakes. General manager Joe Schoen, for all of his strengths, has made quite a few questionable contract decisions during his time in charge.
He'll probably never get out from under the weight of choosing Daniel Jones over Saquon Barkley, but that's just one example.
A closer look at some of the most eyebrow-raising contracts currently on the Giants' books reveals a trend of Schoen overreacting to a small sample size.
Giants' worst contracts reveal an alarming Joe Schoen trend
LB Tremaine Edmunds: 3 years, $36 million
The only 2026 signing on our list, Edmunds could be a great addition for the Giants. But he's entering his ninth season at a position with relatively low value, and the Giants gave him a hefty three-year deal.
New York will take a $14.1 million cap hit in 2028 for a linebacker who will be 30 years old at the time. If Edmunds becomes a Pro-Bowl caliber starter for them, nobody will blink at that number. But if he's just an average off-ball linebacker, that deal will feel more and more like a burden.
After fielding a league-worst run defense in 2025, Schoen gave $36 million to one linebacker, drafted another in the top five, and traded his best defensive player away. Maybe it works out, but that looks like an overreaction at the moment.
DL Chauncey Golston: 3 years, $18 million
Golston signed with New York after logging a career-high seven sacks in 2024. He had previously never had more than two in a season. In his lone year with the Giants, he had just one sack and played less than 200 defensive snaps. Now, he's on the roster bubble heading into training camp.
It's easy to forget that Golston is still on the roster. While he may not be around by the start of the season, his cap hit will be. If the Giants cut Golston, they'll take on a dead cap hit of $6.75 million.
WR Darius Slayton: $3 years, $36 million
Slayton's is easily the most egregious deal on this list. The wide receiver is set to carry the fourth-highest cap hit on New York's roster into 2026 after posting back-to-back seasons with less than 600 receiving yards.
He had solid seasons for New York in 2022 and 2023, but he's been average at best since. Soon after it was signed, this deal became one of the worst in the league. Now, the Giants are stuck waiting for it to expire. If Schoen had been more open to alternatives instead of overpaying for a receiver with minimal production, New York would have more financial flexibility in 2026.
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