Giants could cut Bobby Okereke, other veterans ahead of NFL free agency
New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke after making an interception during the New York Giants vs the Dallas Cowboys football game at MetLife in East Rutherford, NJ, Sunday, January 5, 2026 Credit: Ed Murray
Two months after the Giants hired John Harbaugh, it’s time for the head coach to make a bigger dent on shaping the team he wants.
Teams can begin free agent negotiations Monday and contracts can be signed starting March 11 at 4 p.m. But ahead of that, the Giants could cut players to free up cap space and trim away reminders of going 7-27 over the last two seasons.
Harbaugh has had time to examine this roster. He’s not being paid a reported $20 million per year to keep the status quo. Shake-ups began in the front office and now it’ll start with the locker room to get the team back to winning.
“What we’re trying to do together as a group is just build the best football operation that we possibly can,” Harbaugh said at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “And out of that, create the best football team that we can.”
Those decisions will be easier or harder thanks to the Giants’ cap situation. The team has just $1.8 million in cap space according to the website, Over the Cap.
It means several Giants could be cut as soon as this week. Among the candidates could be a respected leader in linebacker Bobby Okereke. He has been a captain since signing with the team in 2023 and has just five games over the last three seasons. He is in the final year of his contract and is due a $3 million roster bonus later this month.
If he’s cut, it frees up $9 million in cap space. Despite his good standing, his play hasn’t always matched that of his first Giants season.
At times, he’s looked a step slow. His play hasn’t affected games as much as teammates Brian Burns or Dexter Lawrence. Yet he also wasn’t worried about what was being said about his play.
“I’m always just competing with myself and trying to prove myself right,” he said after the Giants’ season finale win over the Cowboys. “There’s always a lot of outside noise, a lot of outside distraction but for me, as a player, I keep a growth mindset. I’m always trying to improve.”
One needs to look at previous inside linebackers under Harbaugh to see what he’s used to. Ray Lewis and Roquan Smith thrived in Baltimore as All-Pro selections.
The Giants could also use the No. 5 pick to draft Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, who had an incredible performance at the Combine and shot up several draft boards.
Okereke, on the other hand, turns 30 in July. He’s an asset in the locker room and a solid player. But for cost-saving reasons, it might make sense if the team parts ways to address other needs.
The Giants could also add $15.2 million in cap space by cutting offensive lineman James Hudson, running back Devin Singletary and kicker Graham Gano. All three are justifiable.
Hudson, who signed a two-year contract last spring, started the first two games at left tackle with Andrew Thomas hurt. In Week 2, Hudson was benched after a historic penalty meltdown on the Giants’ opening drive. He became the first player since at least 2000 to commit four penalties on the same drive. He played only one offensive snap after that and it came in the season finale.
Singletary fell to third in the running back pecking order with Cam Skattebo’s arrival. He and Tyrone Tracy handled the load after Skattebo’s season-ending ankle injury but Tracy and Skattebo are established as the team’s lead backs.
The Giants could find a cheaper third back in free agency. Singletary still has value but the team would save $5.3 million by waiving him.
Gano played just five games last season, his fewest since 2012. Over the last three seasons, he’s played just 23 of a possible 51 games due to various injuries.He’ll be 39 in April. The Giants can’t trust him to stay healthy. He was effective going 9-for-10 on field goals last season but availability matters.
It’s all part of Harbaugh making the Giants in his image. Some veterans won’t be part of that new look. But to fix the team, Harbaugh and the front office have to do deep surgery and that involves removing familiar names.
It could mean the end of Okereke’s tenure. Yet after two of the worst seasons in team history, tough decisions must be made if the Giants want to improve and validate their commitment in hiring Harbaugh.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
More Giants
