Giants wrap-up: Which players hit their incentives? What does 2026 schedule look like?
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:Dan Duggan
A handful of Giants are in line to make some extra money this year, but plenty didn't meet the necessary thresholds.
Another long New York Giants season comes to an end Sunday with a home matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Before the focus shifts to a head-coaching (and possibly general manager) search, here are some odds and ends from the 2025 season:
Incentives
Here’s a rundown of the incentives players are on pace to earn — or not earn — based on contract details obtained by The Athletic:
• OLB Brian Burns: Burns’ contract includes a $1.8 million incentive for earning a Pro Bowl selection, a first-team All-Pro selection or recording 12.5 sacks. Burns has left no doubt, earning a Pro Bowl selection and recording 16.5 sacks. He could complete the hat trick when the All-Pro teams are announced after the season.
Burns’ contract also includes an escalator for reaching one of those thresholds. That means his 2026 base salary will increase by $1.8 million.
• DT Dexter Lawrence: Lawrence has been active for every game this season, so he’s on pace to earn his full $1 million in per-game roster bonuses ($58,823 per game active).
Lawrence had $3 million in playing time and performance incentives added to his contract this offseason. Lawrence could earn up to $1.5 million based on playing time: $500,000 for playing more than 51 percent of the defensive snaps; another $500,000 for playing more than 60 percent of the defensive snaps; and another $500,000 for playing more than 70 percent of the snaps. Lawrence is a lock to earn at least $1 million, as he has played 69.7 percent of the snaps. He can earn the final $500,000 if he plays slightly higher than his typical workload in the finale.
Lawrence won’t come close to achieving the other $1.5 million in incentives based on performance. He needed at least five sacks or an All-Pro selection combined with team defense ranking improvements to reach those incentives. Lawrence has a career low half sack entering the finale.
• OL Greg Van Roten: Van Roten has been active for every game this season, so he’s on pace to earn his full $750,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($44,117 per game active). Van Roten has played every offensive snap this season, so he’ll easily earn a $500,000 incentive for playing more than 50 percent of the snaps. He would have earned $750,000 for playing more than 80 percent of the snaps if the Giants had made the playoffs.
• OL Andrew Thomas: Thomas’ contract includes per-game roster bonuses worth a maximum of $1 million ($58,823 per game). Thomas, who is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, was active for 13 games, so he’ll collect $764,699 in per-game roster bonuses. Thomas could earn $250,000 with an All-Pro selection. He didn’t make the Pro Bowl, so he didn’t collect that $250,000 incentive.
• DL Roy Robertson-Harris: Robertson-Harris has been active for every game this season, so he’s on pace to earn his full $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($29,411 per game active). Robertson-Harris will earn his maximum $250,000 in playing time incentives since he has played 55 percent of the defensive snaps. He earned $125,000 for playing more than 35 percent of the snaps and another $125,000 for playing more than 45 percent of the snaps.
• OL Jermaine Eluemunor: Eluemunor’s contract includes per-game roster bonuses worth a maximum of $500,000 ($29,411 per game active). He has been active for 15 games, so he’ll collect $470,576 if he’s active for the finale.
• S Jevon Holland: Holland’s contract includes per-game roster bonuses worth a maximum of $500,000 ($29,411 per game active). He has been active for 14 games, so he’ll collect $441,165 if he’s active for the finale. Holland failed to earn $250,000 apiece for Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections.
• WR Darius Slayton: Slayton’s contract includes per-game roster bonuses worth a maximum of $500,000 ($29,411 per game active). He has been active for 13 games, so he’ll collect $411,754 if he’s active for the finale.
• CB Paulson Adebo: Adebo’s contract includes per-game roster bonuses worth a maximum of $500,000 ($29,411 per game active). He has been active for 11 games, so he’ll collect $352,932 if he’s active for the finale. Adebo failed to earn $500,000 apiece for Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections.
• OL James Hudson: Hudson’s contract includes per-game roster bonuses worth a maximum of $340,000 ($20,000 per game active). He has been active for 10 games, so he’ll collect $220,000 if he’s active for the finale. Hudson won’t come close to earning $2 million in playing time incentives. The lowest threshold was 70 percent of the snaps for $1 million.
• P Jamie Gillan: Gillan’s contract includes per-game roster bonuses worth a maximum of $200,000 ($11,764 per game active). He has been active for 15 games, so he’ll collect $188,235 if he’s active for the finale.
Gillan won’t earn an additional $400,000 in performance incentives based on earning a Pro Bowl or All-Pro selection and ranking in the top five in the NFL in punts downed inside the 20-yard line. Gillan ranks 29th in punts downed inside the 20.
• OLB Chauncey Golston: Golston’s contract includes per-game roster bonuses worth a maximum of $200,000 ($11,764 per game active). He has been active for nine games, so he’ll collect $105,876 if he’s active for the finale. Golston won’t come close to earning $500,000 in sacks incentives. The lowest threshold was six sacks for $125,000. Golston has one sack this season.
• OL Aaron Stinnie: Stinnie earned a $42,500 bonus for being on the active roster for at least one game.
• QB Russell Wilson: Wilson got a hefty $10.5 million incentive package that would have doubled the value of his one-year, $10.5 million contract. Wilson, who was benched after three games, didn’t come close to earning any of his playing time, performance or team success incentives. Wilson could have earned $176,470 for a maximum of $3 million for every win that he played at least 50 percent of the offensive snaps. The Giants went 0-3 in Wilson’s three starts.
• QB Jameis Winston: Winston, who made only two starts, didn’t come close to earning any of his playing time, performance or team success incentives worth a maximum of $4 million.
• RB Devin Singletary: Singletary didn’t come close to earning any of his performance or playing time incentives worth a maximum of $1 million. The lowest thresholds for Singletary were 1,100 total yards and 56 percent of the offensive snaps for $125,000 apiece. He has tallied 562 total yards and has played 27 percent of the snaps entering the finale.
• ILB Bobby Okereke: Okereke won’t earn his $500,000 bonus for a Pro Bowl selection.
• ILB Chris Board: Board, who suffered a season-ending pec injury in Week 2, won’t earn his $150,000 incentive for playing at least 25 percent of the defensive snaps.
Head coach interview rules
In theory, the Giants got a jump on their head-coaching search by firing Brian Daboll in Week 11. But the team hasn’t conducted any interviews yet, as NFL rules dictate contact with candidates employed by other teams.
That process kicks into gear next week. Here’s a quick refresher on the rules:
• Coaches not employed by NFL teams can be interviewed at any time.
• Coaches employed by teams that don’t reach the playoffs can be interviewed three days after their final regular-season game.
• Coaches employed by teams participating in the wild-card round can be interviewed remotely three days after the team’s wild-card game. Initial interviews must happen before the end of the divisional round.
• Coaches employed by teams with a bye for the wild-card round can be interviewed remotely three days after the regular-season finale. Initial interviews must happen before the end of the wild-card games.
• After the divisional round, teams can conduct in-person or remote interviews with candidates employed by teams whose seasons ended.
• After the divisional round, teams can’t conduct initial interviews with candidates employed by teams participating in the conference championship games until after the end of that team’s season.
• During the bye week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl, teams can conduct second interviews in person or remotely with candidates employed by teams in the Super Bowl.
• Teams must abide by the Rooney Rule, which requires two in-person interviews with external candidates from minority groups.
NFC Least
The Giants will seek a rare division win against the Cowboys in the finale. The Giants are 1-4 in the NFC East this season after going 0-6 in the division last season.
The Giants are 5-17-1 against NFC East opponents during general manager Joe Schoen’s four-year tenure. That includes an 0-7 record against the Cowboys. The Giants are 2-7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, including the playoffs.
Draft outlook
The Giants enter Sunday with the second pick in the draft, but they could move up to No. 1 with a loss or down as low as No. 7 with a win. The scenarios were illustrated in a helpful guide provided by Doug Analytics.
If the Giants lose, they’ll hold the No. 2 pick if the Las Vegas Raiders lose to the Kansas City Chiefs. If the Giants lose and the Raiders win, the Giants could move up to No. 1 based on the outcomes of four other games.
If the Giants win Sunday, they’ll pick anywhere from No. 2 to No. 7 — they’d drop one spot for every loss by the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Washington Commanders.
The Giants are slated to have seven picks in the 2026 draft. They have their picks in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. They also have the Cowboys’ sixth-round pick from the Jordan Phillips trade and the Miami Dolphins’ sixth-round pick from the Darren Waller trade.
The Giants dealt their third-round pick to the Houston Texans to move up for Jaxson Dart. The Giants sent their seventh-round pick to the Cowboys in the Phillips trade. The Giants will send their 2027 seventh-round pick to the Dolphins to complete the Waller trade. Waller has 24 catches this season. If he had reached 50 catches, the Giants would have retained the 2027 seventh-rounder.
The Giants aren’t in line for any compensatory picks after spending big in free agency on cornerback Paulson Adebo, safety Jevon Holland and quarterback Russell Wilson. Outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari’s one-year, $3 million contract with the Eagles was the biggest deal signed by a departing player.
2026 opponents
The Giants are locked into last place in the NFC East for the second straight season. That means most of their 2026 opponents are set.
As always, the Giants will play a pair of games against the three other teams in the NFC East. They’ll also play all of the teams from the NFC West and AFC South.
That’s a tough draw based on this season’s records. The NFC West is the best division in the NFL, with the Seattle Seahawks (13-3), San Francisco 49ers (12-4) and Los Angeles Rams (11-5) headed to the playoffs. The AFC South is tied with the AFC East for the best division in the AFC, with the Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) and Texans (11-5) playoff bound.
The Giants will also play the last-place teams from the AFC North, NFC North and NFC South. The Giants will host the Browns, who are locked into last place in the AFC North. The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions enter the weekend tied for third/fourth place in the NFC North. The Vikings hold the tiebreaker over the Lions, so the Giants will travel to Detroit next season unless the Lions beat the Chicago Bears and the Vikings lose to the Green Bay Packers in Week 18.
The loser of Sunday’s matchup between the 6-10 New Orleans Saints and 7-9 Atlanta Falcons will determine who finishes last in the NFC South. The Giants will host the last-place team from the NFC South next season.
Playing time
Right guard Greg Van Roten’s durability is a big reason he’s lasted 11 years in the NFL. The 35-year-old has played every offensive snap in his two seasons with the Giants.
Linebacker Bobby Okereke returned to his ironman status this season, playing 99.5 percent of the defensive snaps. He has missed just five of the Giants’ 1,060 defensive snaps this season. Okereke played 100 percent of the snaps in 2023 before missing the final five games of last season with a back injury. Okereke is the only Giant to play over 80 percent of the defensive snaps this season.
Safety Dane Belton (71 percent) and linebacker Neville Hewitt (70 percent) have been the Giants’ top special teamers.
Attendance
Eight players made it through the entire season without missing a practice or appearing on the injury report: QB Jameis Winston, RB Devin Singletary, OL Austin Schlottmann, OL Marcus Mbow, OL James Hudson, DL Darius Alexander, S Beau Brade and LS Casey Kreiter. In six seasons with the Giants, the 35-year-old Kreiter has been on the injury report only once, when he was limited for three practices in Week 4 of the 2021 season.
The Giants have 20 players on injured reserve. Four other players have been activated after spending time on IR or the physically unable to perform list.
Playing time raise
Non-first-round picks can earn a proven performance escalator in the final year of their rookie contracts based on their playing time and/or production in their first three seasons. In a sign of how disappointing the Giants’ 2023 class has been, only second-round pick John Michael Schmitz is in line for the raise next year.
Schmitz has been a Day 1 starter, so he will earn the Level Two PPE for playing at least 55 percent of the Giants’ offensive snaps in each of his first three seasons. The Level Two PPE will raise Schmitz’s base salary in 2026 from $1.6 million to the salary of the lowest restricted free-agent tender plus $250,000. That means Schmitz’s salary for 2026 is projected to increase to $3.7 million.
Of the rest of the seven-man 2023 draft class, Day 3 picks Tre Hawkins, Jordon Riley and Gervarrius Owens are no longer with the Giants. First-round pick Deonte Banks lost his starting cornerback job this season, although he has shown promise as a kick returner. Third-round pick Jalin Hyatt has had nine games this season when he’s either been a healthy scratch or hasn’t played an offensive snap. Fifth-round pick Eric Gray was sidelined for the first 11 weeks by a knee injury suffered in the spring and played his first offensive snaps on three kneeldowns at the end of the Giants’ Week 17 win over the Raiders.
Free agents
The Giants are set to have 28 players hit free agency this offseason. Here are the lists of the types of free agents:
Unrestricted
• QB Russell Wilson, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, WR Isaiah Hodgins, WR Gunner Olszewski, TE Daniel Bellinger, TE Chris Manhertz, OL Jermaine Eluemunor, OL Greg Van Roten, OL Austin Schlottmann, OL Aaron Stinnie, OL Josh Ezeudu, OL Evan Neal, DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DL DJ Davidson, OLB Victor Dimukeje, ILB Micah McFadden, ILB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, ILB Neville Hewitt, CB Cor’Dale Flott, S Dane Belton, LS Casey Kreiter.
Robinson, Eluemunor and Flott are positioned to cash in after strong contract years. Many of the other players should be affordable if the Giants want to re-sign them for depth, with McFadden the most intriguing after suffering a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury in Week 1.