Sitting at 4-8 with five weeks remaining in the 2023 NFL regular season, things haven’t gone as planned for the NY Giants. With the team practically eliminated from playoff contention, the Giants front office will be evaluating player performances in December with an eye towards the future.
Despite quarterback Tyrod Taylor being cleared to return from a rib injury and practicing in full this week, Giants head coach Brian Daboll has announced that Tommy DeVito (AKA Tommy Cutlets) will start against the Packers on Monday Night Football. Big Blue knows what they have in Taylor: a veteran backup who is capable of stepping in and running the offense. They’re using this time to find out what they have in DeVito and other players on the roster moving forward. With that said, here are seven players who are playing for their futures:
7. Sterling Shepard
As the longest-tenured member of the team, the Giants are all Sterling Shepard has ever known since being selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Throughout his career, Shepard has established himself as a leader within Big Blue’s locker room. He’s been through a lot with the Giants, playing for five different head coaches (including interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo in 2017) in eight seasons, finding a way to stick on the roster through it all.
Injuries have been an issue for Shepard throughout his career. He’s missed multiple games in all but two seasons and the injuries seem to be catching up to him. He’s recorded career lows in receptions, yards, and touchdowns each of the past three seasons. Not to mention, his usage has declined heavily. He’s played just 16 percent of the team’s offensive snaps this season in 11 games played, earning a measly 16 targets.
Turning 31 in February, Shepard’s contract expires after this season. If he wants to finish his career with the only team he’s ever played for, he is going to need to step up in December to earn another contract.
6. Isaiah Simmons
Leading up to the season, the G-Men acquired hybrid linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons from the Cardinals in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick. For the cost of a seventh-round pick, the Giants took a flier on an uber-athletic defender with a unique blend of size and speed who was selected with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Through 12 games, Simmons has played well in a limited role. He’s recorded 35 tackles, two pass deflections, one tackle for loss, and an interception (which he returned for a touchdown) while playing just 33 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Simmons has also been an asset on special teams, playing 53 percent of the snaps.
Currently in the final year of his rookie deal, Simmons is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2024. The question becomes: has Simmons done enough to warrant an extension? The Giants only giving up a seventh-round pick to acquire Simmons doesn’t guarantee his spot on the roster beyond this season. Simmons will have to continue proving his worth in December if he wants to be a part of the Giants' future.
5. Darnay Holmes
Many Giants fans were excited when the team selected cornerback Darnay Holmes out of UCLA in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Holmes was regarded as a potential value pick who would be able to man the slot corner position for the G-Men for years to come. Unfortunately, he’s failed to live up to expectations in his first four seasons and now finds himself in the last year of his rookie contract.
Holmes took a pay cut to remain with Big Blue this offseason, suggesting the front office may have been prepared to move on from him at his original price tag. Holmes’ usage throughout the season also supports this notion – he’s played 18 percent of the team’s defensive snaps or less in all but two games this season (excluding the game he missed).
Despite the limited playing time, Holmes has recorded two interceptions, three pass deflections, one tackle for loss, and 16 combined tackles. It is important to note that the current Giants regime did not draft Holmes. He is a product of the infamous Dave Gettleman era. Can Holmes finish the season strong with a solid December performance to convince the front office he should be a part of their long-term plans?
4. Adoree’ Jackson
In 2021, the Giants signed Adoree’ Jackson to a three-year, $39 million contract, making him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. Jackson’s $13 million average annual value still ranks near the highest in the NFL amongst cornerbacks. Meanwhile, Jackson has been oft-injured and failed to live up to the expectations that have come with his lucrative contract during his time as a member of the Giants.
There's an old saying in sports: “The best ability is availability.” Unfortunately, availability has been an issue for Jackson, missing at least three games in all three seasons with the Giants.
Despite being a near-every-down player throughout his tenure, Jackson has failed to produce turnovers. In 32 games, Jackson has amassed just one interception, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. For reference, Giants rookie cornerback Deonte Banks has recorded more interceptions in 12 games as a rookie (two) than Jackson has in almost three seasons with the Giants.
3. Darren Waller
Darren Waller was supposed to operate as the Giants de facto No. 1 wide receiver this season after the team sent a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to acquire the talented tight end from the Raiders. That draft pick came from the Giants trading former first-round pick Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs, so many fans were thrilled to hear that the G-Men turned Toney and the drama surrounding him and the front office into a Pro Bowl tight end.
Unfortunately, for Waller and Giants fans alike, Waller has missed a large chunk of the season due to a hamstring injury. Waller is no stranger to soft tissue injuries, suffering multiple hamstring strains in 2022. He's got a big cap hit for 2024, but if NY parts ways with him, the dead cap hit is minor.
Waller is a gifted athlete and a talented player when healthy. However, he’s missed at least four games in six of his eight seasons in the NFL. Given the financial flexibility and Waller’s injury history, the Giants could elect to jump ship after one season if he doesn’t have a productive December. We're still waiting for him to return from Injured Reserve too.
2. Xavier McKinney
Since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, safety Xavier McKinney has established himself as a leader within the Giants defensive unit. However, McKinney is in the final season of his rookie contract and needs a contract extension. General manager Joe Schoen had previously gone on record to say that the team would not look to extend McKinney during the season, but with the season nearing an end, the time to discuss the safety’s future with the team has come.
McKinney has been a reliable player for the Giants throughout his career as a backbone of the secondary. However, he has also had a couple of rough moments over the past two seasons that have put his future with the franchise in question.
First, McKinney suffered an ATV accident last season during the Giants’ bye week, forcing McKinney to miss seven games and nearly losing three fingers in the accident. This season, McKinney made headlines for questioning the Giants leadership and coaching staff, which didn’t sit well with people within the organization.
Despite those two incidents, McKinney has proved his worth as a key piece of the team’s defense. Can a strong performance in December be enough to help the front office overlook some of his past mistakes and offer him a contract extension?
1. Saquon Barkley
At season’s end, the Giants and Saquon Barkley will be faced with the same situation they were in last offseason. Barkley needs a contract extension this offseason after the two sides failed to agree to terms on a long-term contract last offseason. While Barkley has made his desire to retire a Giant clear, he’s also expressed the importance of knowing his worth. As one of the best running backs in the NFL, he wants to be paid like it.
After the team elected not to trade Barkley before this year’s NFL trade deadline, questions about his future with the team beyond 2023 resurfaced. The G-Men can once again use the franchise tag on Barkley this offseason if the two sides can’t agree on an extension, but will Barkley play under another one-year deal? He threatened to sit out games this season before receiving a slight pay raise through performance incentives this past offseason.
Barkley has been the face of the Giants franchise since he was selected with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. It is shocking to think Barkley is fighting for his Giants future in December of 2023, but here we are.