Not too long ago, the New York Giants were a trendy pick to make the playoffs in 2026. John Harbaugh's arrival, coupled with breakout projections for Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter, made Big Blue an offseason media darling.
The NFL world has already turned on the G-Men, though. After a shaky preseason and unresolved roster questions, the Giants' playoff expectations have vanished.
The "Around the NFL" staff recently made playoff predictions for the upcoming season, based on votes from multiple analysts. While both the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles were seen as postseason locks, the Giants were completely out of the picture. Only Matt Okada, one of the early drivers of Big Blue's hype train, gave New York a vote as a Wild Card team.
Giants' playoff hype has officially been snuffed out
In the middle of the offseason, it's all fun and games to pick one of last year's bottom five NFL teams to make a miraculous playoff run. When real games are played, though, the best squads quickly separate themselves from the worst.
Even in preseason action, the Giants showed that they still have plenty of bumps to iron out before they're ready to be competitive. Dart struggled to process defensive looks, the running back room didn't look as solid as it was expected to be, and none of the cornerbacks competing for starting jobs quite looked up to par.
With lingering questions on both sides of the ball, it's easy to see why analysts are fading the Giants' playoff chances before the start of the season. This team may be closer to the beginning of its rebuild than it is to the end.
As a Week 1 matchup with the Cowboys comes barreling into view, it's time for the Giants to reset their expectations for the season. Sure, Harbaugh's goal is to make the playoffs, but it looks like this squad is going to need some time to hit its stride.
Dart has the tools to be an above-average quarterback. Carter could easily double, or even triple, his sack total from last season. This team has the potential to be competitive, without a doubt. But if it doesn't click right away, it won't be a disaster.
Nobody would complain about an out-of-nowhere playoff appearance from Big Blue, though. It would be even sweeter now that analysts seem to have ditched the once-building playoff hype.
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