The New York Giants have pretty much maxed out the NFL’s $301.2 million salary cap after free agency, sitting on just $4.22 million in available space, according to Spotrac.
Fortunately, most of the roster spots are already filled, meaning they won’t have to make any rash contract changes like restructures or extensions -- although they can if they want to. They've already restructured Brian Burns' contract, and fiddling with Andrew Thomas’ and Dexter Lawrence’s deals could free up even more space. They can also cut some players, and kicker Graham Gano sticks out as an obvious $4.5 million cap saver.
Giants insider Dan Duggan noted they aren’t stressing the cap because they can easily clear more if and when they need to:
Giants' cap space is at $4.3M per the NFLPA with all signings accounted for except Elijah Campbell, which will likely only take a few hundred grand after replacing a contract in the top 51 accounting.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) March 21, 2026
So ~$4M in cap space as they continue to wait out the market on the interior…
It's not a matter of if the G-Men release Gano, it's when. Duggan followed up the post with "It's [Gano's release] coming..." and then more background on the potential holdup, saying, "Related to his injury. Making sure they don’t get left on the hook for anything related to that."
Graham Gano could be the key to the Giants’ next chunk of cap space
Moving on from Gano isn’t just about the money; it lines up with everything they’re doing on special teams, which makes sense with John Harbaugh now in charge -- he's a special teams guy.
Last year turned into a revolving door at kicker, and they’re clearly not interested in doing that again. Ben Sauls stepped in late in 2025 and didn’t miss, going a perfect 8-for-8 on field goals and cleaning up a mess that had been lingering for years.
That alone should earn him a look heading into 2026.
At the same time, they aren't just handing him the job. They signed Jason Sanders to a one-year deal in free agency, which suggests it's a no-stone-left-unturned approach. Did someone say kicking competition?
Sanders has the experience advantage, but he’s coming off a hip injury and isn’t guaranteed anything. Sauls is younger (24), cheaper ($1 million), and has already proved he can actually make field goals consistently. That sets up a camp battle, but more importantly, it makes Gano gonezo.
And that’s really what this comes down to. The Giants can clear $4.5 million whenever they’re ready, and they’ve already built the room to move on without thinking twice about it. They'll wait until his medicals clear, so they don't miss out on those juicy cap savings. So, whether it’s Sauls taking the job or Sanders, they’ve got options.
Gano just so happens to be the easiest path to open up room when they decide it’s time.