New York Giants News & Rumors

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/25

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: LB Malik Hamm

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

  • Signed: G Tyler Cooper, WR Tay Martin
  • Placed on IR: G Darrian Dalcourt

The Steelers added a notable wide receiver to their taxi squad in Isaiah Hodgins. The wideout bounced between the Giants practice squad and active roster in 2024, but he’s not far removed from a stretch between 2022 and 2023 when he hauled in 58 catches for 622 yards and seven touchdowns. He’ll be joining a group of practice squad WRs that includes Rakim Jarrett and rookie Ke’Shawn Williams.

Speaking of the Giants, they added a veteran linebacker in Neville Hewitt. The 32-year-old has appeared in 146 games in time with the Dolphins, Jets, and Texans. His best season came with New York in 2020, when he compiled 134 tackles and a pair of sacks. He mostly saw a special teams role while in Houston, but he rebounded in 2024, tallying 59 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles in 17 games (four starts).

NFL Minor Transactions: 9/16/25

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: LB Maema Njongmeta (off Bengals practice squad), C Nick Samac (off Ravens practice squad)

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants

Giants Prefer To Keep Russell Wilson In Place As Starting QB

Throughout the offseason, questions have lingered about how long Russell Wilson will remain atop the Giants’ quarterback depth chart. The Super Bowl winner will get the nod for Week 2, but Jaxson Dart looms as a replacement option.

Wilson and the Giants’ offense endured a highly unproductive outing during a season-opening loss. Head coach Brian Daboll confirmed the 36-year-old will start tomorrow against the Cowboys, although it was reported this week Dart’s strong summer performances could accelerate the timeline for him to take over. Indeed, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Dallas has prepared a defensive package in case the first-round rookie sees time on Sunday.

The Giants’ preference, though, would be to keep Wilson on the field as much as possible. Per Fowler’s colleague Adam Schefter, there is “no sense of urgency” on the part of the Giants to make a quarterback change. That stance is especially understandable with left tackle Andrew Thomas in line to miss tomorrow’s game. It would come as little surprise if New York waited until the veteran blindside blocker was healthy to consider starting Dart.

After selecting edge rusher Abdul Carter third overall, the Giants traded back into the first round to select Dart. The Ole Miss product was the second signal-caller off the board, and he entered the NFL with upside based on his college production but questions about his ability to quickly acclimate to the pro game. With Wilson and fellow free agent addition Jameis Winston in place, Dart could afford to sit for a large portion of the campaign. On the other hand, of course, Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are on shaky ground with respect to their job security.

With pressure no doubt mounting as it pertains to a change on the sidelines and/or in the front office, Dianna Russini of The Athletic confirms (subscription required) Dart taking over at some point is “on the table.” He has a number of supporters within the organization, per Russini. That could lead to a QB change relatively soon depending in large part on how Wilson performs.

On the open market, Wilson took a one-year pact, meaning his future will be linked to his ability to remain atop the depth chart and deliver consistent play under center. Thomas coming back into the fold would be a key development, but in any case the possibility of Dart receiving the reins will continue to make for an interesting storyline to follow.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/25

Here’s are today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears 

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

With one quarterback on the reserve/non-football injury list and starter Brock Purdy inactive, Martinez comes up with the potential to appear in his first ever NFL game, though Niners fans hope his presence will not be necessary.

Bell will be active for tomorrow’s game as the Seahawks work to replace second-round rookie Nick Emmanwori in the secondary. Emmanwori has been ruled out with an ankle injury. Similarly, Wallow will be part of the Broncos’ efforts to fill in for injured linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who has been ruled out for the second week in a row.

Giants Could Play Jaxson Dart ‘Sooner Than Later’

Russell Wilson‘s Week 1 struggles have naturally led to calls for the Giants to start first-round pick Jaxson Dart in Week 2.

Head coach Brian Daboll reaffirmed Wilson’s starting status for Week 2 with the goal of keeping him under center for the foreseeable future. However, repeated poor performances will only intensify the pressure to let Dart take over the offense.

The Giants seemed poised to resist, for now. They made it clear throughout the offseason that they didn’t feel the need to start Dart right away. Instead, Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have prioritized his long-term development by keeping him on the sidelines until the coaches are satisfied with is progress, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

A strong preseason from Dart may have “expedited the process,” according to Graziano’s colleague, Jeremy Fowler, making it likely that the rookie plays “sooner than later.” The Giants named Dart the backup quarterback to enter the season, signaling their comfort with putting him on the field on game days if needed. Daboll and Kafka also installed a specific package of offensive plays for Dart, though none were used in Week 1.

As a result, it seems more likely that New York would give Dart a chance before going to Jameis Winston. Winston was designated as the team’s emergency third quarterback in Week 1, meaning that Wilson and Dart would both have to get hurt for him to enter the game.

The Giants may also be cautious of playing Dart behind a Giants offensive line that allow pressure on 48.9% of Wilson’s Week 1 dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats (subscription required). Left tackle Andrew Thomas is still working his way back to full health, so the team may not want to throw Dart to the wolves until Thomas is ready to protect his blind side.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/25

Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the league:

Green Bay Packers

  • Elevated from practice squad: OT Brant Banks, CB Micah Robinson
  • Placed on injured reserve: DL Brenton Cox

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Gipson was waived by the Jets after a costly fumble in Week 1, but will not need to switch states (or even home stadiums) when joining the Giants. The 24-year-old will serve as a depth receiver for his new team and could also contribute as a returner.

The NFL also issued a three-game suspension for free agency safety Qwuantrezz Knight, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Knight appeared in six games for the Cardinals in 2023.

Giants LB Micah McFadden To Undergo Foot Surgery

Micah McFadden suffered a foot injury during the Giants’ season opener. The fourth-year linebacker is facing a lengthy absence as a result.

McFadden is set to miss a “significant” portion of the 2025 campaign, as first reported by Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Surgery is now on tap, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan adds. McFadden is considered likely to return at some point this season, per Raanan.

Even so, losing the 25-year-old will deal a blow to New York’s defense. McFadden played a rotational role during his rookie season before becoming a full-time starter the following year. His snap share jumped once more in 2024, reaching 75%. Another impactful campaign was expected in McFadden’s case for this season, the final one of his rookie contract.

As a pending free agent, the timing of McFadden’s injury is particularly troublesome. The former fifth-rounder’s market value will be dictated in large part by his play in 2025, but that will prove to be a small sample size. In McFadden’s absence, Darius Muasau – selected in the sixth round of last year’s draft – took over as a starter on defense in Week 1. That could continue moving forward, although other options will be explored at the second level of the Giants’ defense.

When speaking to the media on Thursday, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said (via Raanan) the team has “got to consider” using Abdul Carter as a weakside linebacker in the wake of losing McFadden. Carter, this year’s No. 3 overall pick, worked exclusively as an edge rusher last season and thrived in that capacity. The Penn State product previously saw time as a linebacker, however, so at least a part-time role in that regard could be feasible.

The Giants have Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in place as starters along the edge, something which led to questions entering the season about Carter’s workload. He handled a 50% snap share in Week 1, and Bowen noted that will change on a week-to-week basis. Given McFadden’s absence for the foreseeable future, it will be interesting to see if Carter’s rookie campaign winds up including responsibilities at more than one position.

NFL Minor Transactions: 9/9/25

Today’s minor moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Waived from IR: CB Cameron McCutcheon

Tre Hawkins was waived/injured at the end of the preseason and reverted to IR, meaning he wouldn’t be able to play during the 2025 campaign. After agreeing to an injury settlement today, he’ll now have an opportunity to take the field elsewhere. The former sixth-round pick started three of his 17 appearances as a rookie, but he was limited to only three games in 2024 thanks in part to a season-ending fractured lumbar spine injury.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/8/25

Today’s practice squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: OL Liam Fornadel

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

2025 Offseason In Review Series