The New York Giants are playing an interesting... no, dangerous... no, treacherous waiting game with veteran defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris -- and consequently, Bobby Jamison-Travis (but I'll get into that later). After suffering a devastating Achilles injury during the first week of OTAs, the big man is in jeopardy of missing the entire season, yet, for some reason, he's still listed on the active roster.
Whether it's head coach John Harbaugh, general manager Joe Schoen, or someone else, an unspecified person is clearly having a hard time letting go, hoping for a miraculous late-season return. By not placing the 6-foot-7, 300-pounder on injured reserve, they run the chance of him coming back and actually playing in 2026. However, by putting him on IR, they essentially end RRH's season and clear up a roster spot for someone else.
The Athletic's Dan Duggan summarized the situation perfectly in his latest 53-man roster projection for the G-Men, pointing out that logic will inevitably beat out optimism:
"The Giants haven’t put Robertson-Harris on injured reserve because they’re holding out hope he could return late in the season.
It seems unlikely they can preserve a roster spot for a rotational defensive tackle when injuries mount and more depth is needed during training camp. Regardless, Robertson-Harris will land on IR eventually."
Bobby Jamison-Travis can only hope Giants make the smart move
Once the front office accepts reality and sends Robertson-Harris to IR, the fallout reshapes the rest of the defensive line. This group couldn't look more different from last year's if it tried, with 2025 third-rounder Darius Alexander being the only (healthy) returning defensive lineman from last year's team.
With free agents D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris locked in at the top of the depth chart alongside Alexander, the door is now wide open for a few bnig bodies to crack the backend of the rotation. That's where the sixth-round rookie, Jamison-Travis, comes into the picture.
Keeping guys on the roster they drafted over free-agent additions matters more to general manager Joe Schoen than Giants fans care to admit, and Jamison-Travis has the perfect opportunity to claim a roster spot for that exact reason.
With Robertson-Harris destined for IR, the 25-year-old rookie out of Auburn has a direct path to beat out guys like Josh Tupou, Sam Roberts, Zacch Pickens, Ben Barten, and Anquin Barnes Jr. for one of the final spots. It's definitely a tough break for RRH, but it's moments like this that gives a hungry, 6-foot-3, 328-pound rookie his first big break.
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