The Steelers are heading into Week 6 short on healthy wide receivers. Michael Pittman is on injured reserve and the team is set to be without Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek as well when they take the field in Tampa this Sunday. That leaves three wideouts on the active roster, although rookie Kaden Wetjen has yet to play an offensive snap yet this season. The team has three more wideouts on the practice squad and quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed his faith in Brandon Smith, Brandon Johnson, and Isaiah Hodgins while discussing the team’s options on Wednesday. “I have a lot of trust in those guys,” Rodgers said, via the team’s website. “I’ve always been a fan of Brandon Johnson; he had his locker right next to mine last year and we had some great conversations. He’s played and played well when he’s gotten opportunities. Obviously, I know B. Smith from New York and I’m a big believer in him. And then Isaiah was here with us last year, then went to New York and made a bunch of plays. I like those guys a lot.” The Steelers’ ability to weather the injuries should be helped by how Rodgers uses all of the available targets. Running back Jaylen Warren and tight end Pat Freiermuth are tied with DK Metcalf for the team lead in catches while tight end Darnell Washington has also been used frequently in the passing game
Odell Beckham Jr. has made the Giants’ initial 53-man roster and his No. 13 jersey is now available. Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt was among the cuts that the Giants made to get down to the roster limit. Hyatt was a 2023 third-round pick, but he only caught 36 passes over his first three NFL seasons. The Giants also waived or released quarterbacks Brandon Allen and Jake Haener; wide receivers Braxton Berrios, Dalen Cambre, Xavier Gipson, Isaiah Hodgins, and Kobe Prentice; defensive linemen Anquin Barnes, Ben Barten, Marlon Davidson, Leki Fotu, Josh Topou, and Zacch Pickens; linebackers Trace Ford, Khalid Kareem, Chandler Martin, Darius Muasau, Caleb Murphy, and Anfernee Orji; defensive backs Ugo Amadi, Beau Brade, Art Green, Raheem Layne, and J.T. Woods; offensive linemen Jarrod Gray, Brenden Jaimes, Jake Kubas, Evan Neal, Lucas Patrick, and Ryan Schernecke; running backs Damon Bankston, Grant Finley, and Eric Gray; tight ends Tanner Conner and Josiah Deguara; and kicker Ben Sauls. Cornerback Korie Black was placed on injured reserve and designated for return
The Giants have begun reducing their roster to 53 players. They announced eight cuts ahead of Sunday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline. The Giants will cut CB Ugo Amadi, RB Damon Bankston, TE Josiah Deguara, DL Leki Fotu, WR Isaiah Hodgins, OL Brenden Jaimes, LB Anfernee Orji and WR Kobe Prentice. Hodgins has spent the past 3 1/2 seasons with the Giants, making 66 catches for 708 yards and eight touchdowns. The moves come the day after the Giants wrapped up the preseason with a 23-6 victory over the Jets. The claiming period for players placed on waivers at the roster reduction will expire at 1 p.m. ET on Monday. The Giants are fifth in the claiming order. Teams can then establish a practice squad of 17 players, as long as one player qualifies and is designated as an international player
The Giants released their first depth chart of the summer on Wednesday and it provides a view of how Odell Beckham Jr.'s bid to make the team is shaping up. Beckham is listed on the third string along with three other wideouts. Reports from camp last week had Beckham, who did not play at all in 2025, getting reps with the first team, but it will be hard for a player who doesn’t play on special teams to make the cut from his current spot on the depth chart. Darius Slayton is listed as a starter along with Malik Nabers with Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney and Jalin Hyatt on the second rung. Hyatt’s placement is a bit surprising based on how reports from camp about how the receiver reps are doled out. Isaiah Hodgins, Dalen Cambre, and rookie Malachi Fields join Beckham on the third string with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios on the fourth row. Berrios is also listed as the top punt returner. Teams stress the unofficial nature of these depth charts, so the way they line up in preseason games may prove to be more telling about how things will play out for the Giants. Their first game is Saturday against the Vikings
Odell Beckham Jr. has seen a significant increase in first-team reps at Giants training camp, but still faces an uphill battle for a significant role in the offense
New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III will merely be competing for a depth role with his new team this summer in training camp. Malik Nabers (knee), Darius Slayton, and Darnell Mooney are locked into the top-three receiver spots for the G-Men heading into the 2026 season, with Austin battling Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, rookie Malachi Fields, and Isaiah Hodgins for a backup role. The 27-year-old Austin caught 84 of 143 targets for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns in 48 games (16 starts) in his three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers after he was a fourth-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Memphis. Austin currently appears to be ahead of OBJ and Smith-Schuster, with his primary competition likely to come in the form of Fields for the WR4 role in what should be a more balanced offense under new head coach John Harbaugh. Austin should be avoided in 12-team fantasy drafts this fall, with his only path to waiver-wire appeal early on likely coming if Nabers is not ready to play to begin the regular season
Hodgins inked a one-year deal with the Giants this offseason, priming him to log game action with them for a fifth straight campaign. The 27-year-old has totaled 10 regular-season appearances over the past two years, having secured 12 of 21 targets for 127 yards and one touchdown in that span. He will compete for a depth role with the team in 2026, though journeymen WRs Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin and rookie third-rounder Malachi Fields all figure to be in the mix behind No. 1 Malik Nabers, meaning Hodgins' lack of special-teams ability could harm his odds to earn a roster spot
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants survived an Abdul Carter injury scare and saw a visit from Hall of Fame linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson steal the spotlight Monday on the first day of the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp. Giants head coach J ohn Harbaugh had never met Taylor or Carson before Monday, and admitted to being a bit “starstruck” by the Hall of Fame former Giants linebackers. “Two of the greatest linebackers ever in the history of the game talking to the guys after practice, that was something,” Harbaugh said. “That was special. They had some good wisdom.” Harbaugh spent a few minutes talking to Taylor and Carson after practice, and made sure to get a photo. “I was in awe. I was kinda star-struck,” Harbaugh said. “I wanted to ask for an autograph. I thought you guys would make fun of me if I did that.” Edge defender Brian Burns hopes his young teammates, even if they aren’t familiar with Taylor and Carson, look them up and learn from their words. “There may be some young guys that don’t know them, but you’ve got to think about it. They’re far removed from it,” Burns said. “But I would just implore them to look at the history, see what those guys were about, and you never know that can help you, give you some gems along the way.” The Giants have more quality receivers than can make the 53-man roster. The competition for spots will be fierce. Here are highlights of what we saw on Monday: Third-round pick Malachi Fields made the catch of the day, a contested grab over a cornerback on a deep throw down the left side from Jaxson Dart . Our view was blocked, and we could not identify the defender on the play. Isaiah Hodgins had a leaping, contested catch for a touchdown on a throw from Dart during a red zone session. Odell Beckham Jr. had a quiet day, with just two catches that I noted. Unfortunately for Beckham, one of those turned into a catch-fumble as he stumbled after catching a slant from Brandon Allen , lost the ball, and cornerback Rico Payton scooped it up. Giants tight end Isaiah Likely , who played with Beckham in Baltimore , said after practice that things are different than when Beckham was a Raven. “I kind of cracked on Odell a little bit when he came here because in Baltimore seeing O was my first time, and I see him as mohawk Odell where it was like crazy colors. I think he had purple hair at the time, Odell, where it was like, you’re tapping your friend, like, man, that’s Odell,” Likely said. “And then when he signed here, I kind of texted him, gave him a little text, talking about, hey, you’re on my team now, rook.” Jalin Hyatt hauled in a deep ball from Jameis Winston over rookie cornerback Colton Hood. Hyatt also went across the middle and made a nice grab against tight coverage. When running back Cam Skattebo did a backflip to celebrate a home run at the recent Brian Burns Charity Softball Game, you had to think he was ready to get on the practice field and begin to work. That happened on Monday. Skattebo took a handful of reps during install or “on-air” periods without any defense on the field, the next step in his recovery from last season’s gruesome ankle dislocation. “That’s [on the field] where you want him to be,” Harbaugh said. “He’s worked super hard, super hard. I did mention maybe no back flips out here today. We agreed.” I’m so proud of Thibs … I don’t want to sound all sentimental or whatever, but just the man he is and he’s becoming, like the way he handles his business, is something that’s really inspirational. He’s doing everything right. — BRIAN BURNS ON KAYVON THIBODEAUX These practices are mandatory, so it can be assumed that each of the players listed was out with some type of injury. Not practicing were: Tight end Thomas Fidone, offensive lineman Lucas Patrick , defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris (Achilles tendon), defensive tackle Sam Roberts, and linebacker Cam Jones . On the side with trainers were wide receivers Malik Nabers , [... truncated ...]
Odell Beckham Jr. 's return captured the most headlines, but he was only one of three wide receivers that the Giants signed this week. Braxton Berrios and JuJu Smith-Schuster also joined the team and the decision to bring in the trio of wideouts was the subject of questions for head coach John Harbaugh at a Wednesday press conference. The Giants lost Gunner Olszewski to a torn Achilles in practice last week and Harbaugh called that "a catalyst," but said that Malik Nabers 's ongoing recovery from last season's torn ACL was not part of the equation. "No, I'd say it's separate from that. Nothing to do with that," Harbaugh said, via a transcript from the team. "There's room enough for Malik and whoever the next four or five receivers are. There's room enough for all those guys." Darius Slayton , Calvin Austin , Darnell Mooney , Isaiah Hodgins , Jalin Hyatt , and third-round pick Malachi Fields are also in the mix at receiver for the Giants, so there won't be room for all of them when it comes time for the Giants to make decisions about their 53-man roster. That should make for a very competitive first training camp under Harbaugh this summer
Odell Beckham Jr.'s return captured the most headlines, but he was only one of three wide receivers that the Giants signed this week. Braxton Berrios and JuJu Smith-Schuster also joined the team and the decision to bring in the trio of wideouts was the subject of questions for head coach John Harbaugh at a Wednesday press conference. The Giants lost Gunner Olszewski to a torn Achilles in practice last week and Harbaugh called that “a catalyst,” but said that Malik Nabers’s ongoing recovery from last season’s torn ACL was not part of the equation. “No, I’d say it’s separate from that. Nothing to do with that,” Harbaugh said, via a transcript from the team. “There’s room enough for Malik and whoever the next four or five receivers are. There’s room enough for all those guys.” Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt, and third-round pick Malachi Fields are also in the mix at receiver for the Giants, so there won’t be room for all of them when it comes time for the Giants to make decisions about their 53-man roster. That should make for a very competitive first training camp under Harbaugh this summer
The Giants’ flurry of new wide receiver signings won’t cost them all that much. Big Blue inked veterans Odell Beckham Jr. , Braxton Berrios and JuJu Smith-Schuster early this week. The biggest story was bringing back Beckham , who won the 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award with the Giants and spent five seasons in New York from 2014-18. Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers. tRY IT NOW The trio will join the Giants on veteran minimum deals, which are worth up to $1.3 million each, according to multiple reports. This lessens the financial risk of taking on three journeymen while bolstering a wide receiver room dealing with a bout of injuries. Gunner Olszewski tore his Achilles during an OTA practice last week, while Darius Slayton and Malik Nabers continue to rehab their core and knee injuries, respectively. In the past two years, Beckham, 33, has appeared in just nine games. He was suspended for six games last year for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy and was not signed for the rest of the season. In five years with the Giants, Beckham recorded 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns. Smith-Schuster, 29, joins the Giants after spending the past two seasons with the Chiefs under now-Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. Berrios, 30, appeared in only four games with the Texans last year due to injuries. Monday wasn’t the first day the Giants were active on the receiver market. Earlier this offseason, they signed veterans Calvin Austin , Darnell Mooney and Ryan Miller while retraining Isaiah Hodgins . Coach John Harbaugh’s team will be without Wan’Dale Robinson , who recorded 1,000 yards last season and left for Tennessee in free agency
The tripleheader of wide receiver signings by the New York Giants on Monday completed what is a stunning makeover at the position since the end of the 2025 season. Here is what the Giants’ wide receiver depth chart looked like in the 2025 Week 18 season finale against the Dallas Cowboys : IR — Malik Nabers , Wan’Dale Robinson Robinson spent the final week of the season on IR after crossing the 1,000-yard mark for the season the week before, the only time in his four years with the Giants that he did so. Game day roster — Darius Slayton , Ryan Miller , Jalin Hyatt , Gunner Olszewski , Dalen Cambre , Isaiah Hodgins Practice squad — Xavier Gipson , Ihmir Smith-Marsette While Nabers is the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, his uncertain status as he grinds away at rehab from a pair of surgeries for a torn ACL and other injuries makes it possible that the only wide receiver from the group above who could be on the Week 1 roster is Slayton. The Giants have added five capable veteran wide receivers in free agency. They signed Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin earlier in free agency, then struck deals with Odell Beckham Jr. , Braxton Berrios , and JuJu Smith-Schuster on Monday. They surrendered a pair of draft picks to move up in the 2026 NFL Draft and select wide receiver Malachi Fields in Round 3. Add the tight end swap on Isaiah Likely in place of Daniel Bellinger , and the Giants have transformed their receiving group into a much deeper, more experienced group for Jaxson Dart to throw to. Monday’s moves by the Giants seem only partially necessitated by Friday’s season-ending injury to Gunner Olszewski. It is entirely possible that Harbaugh and the Giants looked at the receivers after two weeks of OTAs and realized they did not have enough firepower. Let’s break down the wide receivers on the 90-man roster and see where the pieces might fit. Below, my initial expectations on who will and will not make the team, and thoughts on each player. Odell Beckham Jr. 2.0: Can the Giants get the 2023 version of OBJ? Malik Nabers — I think this is where the situation with Nabers is headed. The last time he spoke about Nabers, head coach John Harbaugh did not seem optimistic that he would be healthy enough to begin the season. Nabers did participate in the Brian Burns Charity Softball Game, but seemed to move carefully and was said to be limping. Nabers has said there was a lot going on with his knee, and he had a second “clean up” surgery this offseason. Just an educated guess, but I think one of the reasons the Giants were so aggressive on Monday in adding wide receivers is that they aren’t sure when Nabers will be ready to play. Darius Slayton — Don’t forget about the 29-year-old, now the longest-tenured Giant. He has missed spring workouts due to surgery to repair a sports hernia, but he will almost certainly be on the roster and have a role in the offense. Cutting Slayton would cost the Giants $15.749 million in dead money against the cap, and it would be stunning if they were to take that hit. Slayton did not have his best season in 2025. His 37 catches and 538 receiving yards were the second-lowest totals of his career, and his drop rate of 7.9% spiked to its highest mark since he dropped 9.9% of passes thrown to him in 2022. Still, Slayton has always shown the ability to bounce back and play himself into having a key role. Despite all the changes, that could be the case again. Darnell Mooney — Mooney’s best has been better than Slayton’s best. Mooney has 1,000-yard and 900-yard receiving seasons on his resume. Slayton’s best is 770 yards. Mooney has 81, 64, and 61-catch seasons across his six-year career. Slayton’s best is 50 catches. Mooney, 28, had his best season — 81 catches, 1,055 yards — playing for Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy with the Chicago Bears in 2021. The Giants would take a $3 million cap hit if they cut Mooney. If they traded him, which seems unlikely, that hit would reduce to $1.785 million. Moone
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