The New York Giants officially cleared their first major offseason hurdle when they brought in John Harbaugh to be the team’s 21st head coach. The next steps will be to build out the rest of the coaching staff, bolster the depth chart via free agency, and nail the draft. Easy peasy, right?
That’s why they brought Harbaugh in... right? The idea is general manager Joe Schoen -- with a little help from Chris Mara, Brian Daboll (of all people), John Mara, and others -- hired the most sought-after coach of the cycle to help get the most out of the up-and-coming talent on the team and eventually compete for Super Bowls.
But coaching this roster up will only be half the battle. The other half will be figuring out how to flesh out that lackluster roster with limited cap space entering 2026. Let’s hope Harbs’ cap gymnastics are just as good as his coaching acumen.
According to Over the Cap, Big Blue will have severely limited cap space entering 2026, with a modest $1.8 million to spend. It’s important to note that next year’s cap number has yet to be determined, which could open up some more space -- we’ll likely have to wait until March to see the final salary cap figures. But still, for anyone thinking this might be the offseason the G-Men go on a spending spree, think again.
That being said, there are a couple of ways Harbaugh can clear up some much-needed wallet room to make the correct additions to get this team over the hump.
If John Harbaugh is going to fix the Giants he will have to start by fixing the books
The most obvious way the 63-year-old can clear up some cap room is by taking out the scissors and making some roster cuts.
There are some names that make more sense than others: linebacker Bobby Okereke, offensive linemen Jon Runyan and James Hudson, running back Devin Singletary, and kicker Graham Gano are all entering the final years of their contracts and would clear up roughly $33 million.
Then there are the other names who should get cut, but seem less likely: center John Michael Schmitz, punter Jamie Gillan, running back Eric Gray, and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt. These four would clear up an additional $7.5 million.
Oh, how quickly the G-Men go from $1.8 million to over $40 million with some good 'ole addition by subtraction. That's important because trades and contract restructures could easily help put Big Blue in a healthier position, too, and that's before the finalized 2026 cap numbers are set -- potentially exceeding $300 million (up from the $279 million for 2025).
There's a reason why Harbaugh chose the Giants when thinking about his next stop. He knew all about the cap crunch and likely has a plan to make it work. It doesn't hurt that the team already hosts a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract, a star receiver, a stud running back, a top-tier left tackle, and an elite pass-rushing unit.
Don't look now, but if Harbs and Co. can find a way to clear up some space, this team could be a lot closer to turning things around than not.