The New York Giants are laser-focused on their upcoming Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFL season. Determined not to let anything escape their control, John Harbaugh’s unusual travel decision wasn’t the only surprise in store for the G-Men. Dealing with a depleted cornerback room, the Giants brought in a former talent from brother Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers.
“The Giants are signing CB Nikko Reed from the Chargers practice squad,” Jordan Raanan ofESPN’s NFL Nation reported. While Reed was a practice squad member on Harbaugh’s Chargers, he is jumping right into the active roster of Harbaugh’s Giants. One man’s loss is another man’s gain, even when the two men involved are siblings.
“Reed lands on the Giants active roster with them short on healthy cornerbacks. Paulson Adebo didn’t practice Thursday. Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome were limited,” Raanan stated. Short on options at cornerback, the Giants wasted no time bringing in reinforcements to East Rutherford before taking on a stacked, desperate-to-get-back-on-track Rams‘ offense.
Desperate times require desperate solutions, like a neighbor asking for a spare hammer or ladder to change a lightbulb. John Harbaugh resorted to his brother Jim Harbaugh’s team for a stopgap addition at cornerback. This time around, the older brother didn’t ask; he simply swooped in and snatched a cornerback, taking Reed back with him to New York.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Peculiar schedule for Reed
With the Giants heading for Los Angeles on Saturday and Reed’s signing coming on Thursday, the 23-year-old cornerback will be in for a busy schedule, flying from LAX to the Big Apple only to fly back to the City of Angels in a matter of hours.
In the NFL, adventures like this are commonplace, and in order to survive in an ever-changing landscape, players must adapt in a heartbeat, especially an undrafted player like Reed, who is still trying to make a name for himself. Clearly, he’s someone the Harbaugh household is familiar with.
After some time with Jim in Los Angeles, Reed will experience life with John in New York. Though some stability would be nice, there are far worse places to call home and worse coaches to have as a boss in the NFL.
Reed’s stats
Coming off of college, where he played for the Colorado Buffaloes (2021-2022) and Oregon Ducks (2023-2024), Reed signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2025 NFL season. He made the 53-man active roster and appeared in five games before being shut down with a hamstring injury.
Last season, Reed recorded 2 total tackles and one pass deflection. His highlight came in the preseason, when he recorded an interception in the 2025 Hall of Fame Game. Reed hasn’t played in an NFL game since Dec. 27, 2025.
