With the New York Giants expected to upgrade a specific area to protect Jaxson Dart, fans in East Rutherford had grown excited. However, the Giants made no waiver claims, leading some fans to question the decision made by John Harbaugh and company ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Others, however, applaud it.
“The Giants did not get any players via waivers,” Jordan Raanan of ESPN reported on X. As noted by Dan Duggan of The Athletic, however, it’s unclear whether New York actually placed a claim on a player in the first place.
Because waivers are determined by team priority and there are no limits on how many players a team can target, there is a scenario in which the Giants tried claiming a player but were beaten to it by a franchise with a worse record last season. If that was the case, then New York did nothing wrong.
NY Giants add no player from waivers
However, some believe the G-Men may have overlooked players on waivers, making no claims and thus coming away empty-handed. Harbaugh and his staff may be confident in the 53-man roster—which Odell Beckham Jr. made—and that might be the silver lining. Regardless, believing the team won’t make any more changes might be too much wishful thinking, even for a team in the city where dreams are made.
Teams making waiver-wire additions are usually those that missed the playoffs the previous season. This year was no different, as the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots were the only 2025 playoff teams awarded waiver claims. Fifth overall in waiver order, it’s definitely surprising New York didn’t come away with a single player. To some, however, it’s an encouraging sign as it could indicate Harbaugh and company trust their current lineup enough.
Moreover, it’s not as if New York didn’t address its depth. While they didn’t sign any new player, the Giants did bring back players that were previously released. For example, Braxton Berrios and Jake Haener, who are among the players returning to a practice squad spot.
Positions NY Giants could have strengthened
“If Giants put in claims today, I think they’ll be for defensive tackle, maybe a cornerback or a developmental edge to add to that room,” NorthJersey’s Art Stapleton said prior to the waiver-wire deadline.
Joe Schoen had hinted the Giants would explore more roster additions, but that wasn’t the case. At least not through waivers. Maybe the G-Men have an ace up their sleeve, which they plan on using to work out a trade or sign a player in free agency.
Still, many devotees among the fanbase in The Big Apple can’t help but feel this was a big missed opportunity. Hopefully it won’t become a season-long trend for Big Blue in 2026. Others like the fact that Harbaugh is doubling down on his roster-cut day decisions and sticking with the lineup he put together. There is no right or wrong decision, or at least no way to tell which is better before Week 1 has even taken place. It all comes down to subjectivity.
