There are real concerns with the New York Giants entering the 2026 season with John Michael Schmitz as the team's starting center. Through the first three years of his career,
That was never more evident than when backup center Austin Schlottmann took over in relief for JMS when he missed four games throughout the season due to various injuries (a concussion in Weeks 7 and 8, and a finger injury in Weeks 17 and 18).
The 30-year-old bested him across the board (per Pro Football Focus):
Schlottmann | Michael Schmitz | |
|---|---|---|
Overall grade | 70.8 | 60.8 |
Run-block grade | 69.8 | 63.3 |
Pass-block grade | 77.0 | 60.9 |
There's an argument to be made that New York should have cut JMS, saved cap space, and signed Schlottmann for cheaper, but that might be the couch GM in me speaking.
Schlotty parlayed his brief -- yet impactful -- performance into a two-year, $7 million contract from the Tennessee Titans during free agency. At the time, it felt like one of those under-the-radar departures you shrug off and move on from.
Training camp is making that decision look a whole lot different.
Giants’ Lucas Patrick uncertainty makes the Schlottmann loss sting
New York signed Lucas Patrick to a one-year deal earlier this offseason to replace Schlottmann as the primary interior backup. The 10-year veteran can play all three interior offensive line spots, making him the obvious insurance policy behind Schmitz.
Patrick has already missed a large portion of the team's spring workouts due to an undisclosed injury, so when Pat Leonard confirmed his workload was still being managed, it was hard not to think about when times were simpler, when Schlottmann was still on the team.
The problem is that insurance policy hasn’t exactly been available.
Patrick missed a large chunk of the spring with an undisclosed injury, and even now his workload continues to be managed. Head coach John Harbaugh has repeatedly brushed it off as “old guy stuff,” but it’s hard not to notice what’s happening around him.
The Giants worked out four interior offensive linemen on Tuesday, a pretty telling sign that the coaching staff is at least exploring contingency plans if Patrick’s situation lingers longer than expected. They ultimately didn’t sign any of them, but the workouts alone speak volumes. It also makes Schlottmann’s departure sting a little more.
He already proved last season he could step in and keep the offense afloat -- dare I say improve the offense -- when Schmitz was out. There's no denying that he outplayed JMS during his limited opportunities. Instead, he packed his bags for Tennessee after Brian Daboll offered him a clearer path to playing time.
The Giants now find themselves crossing their fingers that Patrick gets healthy while also bringing in free agents for workouts just to make sure they have enough depth. It’s a situation that probably could’ve been avoided altogether had Schlottmann never left in the first place.
No one's saying he would’ve magically transformed the offensive line into the league’s best. But reliable depth is hard to find, and the Giants know that better than anyone. Now they’re left hoping they don’t spend the next few months wishing they’d done more to keep him around.
Add us as a preferred source on Google