MAY 12: Humphrey’s free agent stay is coming to an end. Art Stapleton of NJ.com reports the Giants are re-signing him, with last week’s release having simply been a procedural move to open up a roster spot for rookie minicamp. Humphrey will spend OTAs and minicamp competing for a role in New York.

MAY 9: Lil’Jordan Humphrey held a regular role for the Broncos over the past two seasons, leading to a deal with the Giants. But the latter partnership looks set to be short-lived.

The Giants brought in the veteran wide receiver in late March, adding him on a one-year deal worth $1.25MM, but KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports the team has decided to move on already. This will not bring much in dead money (just $25K), and Humphrey will head back to free agency.

This move might not have escaped our minor moves section prior to Humphrey’s Denver tenure, but the big-bodied wideout showed himself to be valuable for the playoff-bound team last season. The Broncos used Humphrey on 50% of their offensive snaps last season (a career-high 546), turning to him as a veteran Courtland Sutton sidekick while developing a host of rookie-contract players. Although the Broncos had signed Josh Reynolds, Humphrey ended up playing a regular role throughout the season.

Scoring three touchdowns in 2023, Humphrey built on that auxiliary work by posting career-high marks in receptions (31) and yards (293) last season. The 6-foot-4 target’s lone score came on a catch-and-run in a Broncos shutout win over the Falcons, but the team relied on the ex-Sean Payton Saints cog as a blocker as well. Pro Football Focus graded Humphrey as a top-25 run blocker at the position in 2024. Humphrey’s past two seasons likely will land him another opportunity, though he has bounced around the league over the course of his career.

Mostly serving as a Payton charge, Humphrey also saw time for the 2022 Patriots. The Giants added him after re-signing Darius Slayton. New York also rosters former Day 2 draftees Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt at the position, while Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Bryce Ford-Wheaton join free agency addition Zach Pascal in New York’s Malik Nabers-fronted receiving corps.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey reunited with Sean Payton over the past two years, but he will be on the move this offseason. The veteran receiver is joining the Giants on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The team has since announced the pact.

Humphrey began his career working under Payton with the Saints. The former UDFA played sparingly on offense during his first two New Orleans campaigns, but in 2021 he flashed potential as a deep threat with a 19.2 yards per catch average. A one-year spell with the Patriots did not produce a notable output, and as a free agent in 2023 Humphrey was one of several ex-Saints who joined Payton’s Broncos.

During his debut Denver campaign, the Texas product logged a 40% offensive snap share and scored a career-high three touchdowns. Humphrey did not survive roster cuts last summer, but he immediately joined the Broncos’ practice squad and was designated a gameday elevation multiple times. Appearing in all 18 of the team’s combined regular and postseason games in 2024, the 26-year-old set a new personal mark in catches (31) and yards (293).

That production kept the Broncos interested in another Humphrey pact, with his agent noting (via 9News’ Mike Klis) a Denver offer was made. The Giants’ proposal was more lucrative, however, and he will now head to New York. Humphrey will join a WR corps led by 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Malik Nabers and which also includes the likes of Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.

The presence of those three wideouts led to a renewed expectation that Darius Slayton would depart on the open market. Instead, the veteran re-signed on a three-year, $36MM pact, giving New York continuity at the position. Humphrey – who does not have much in the way of special teams experience – will spend the summer competing for a depth receiving role with the Giants.