New York Giants roster cuts: Tracking path to 53 players for 2026

The New York Giants have wrapped up their 2026 preseason, and now the work begins on creating the 53-man roster they will carry into the regular season.

Big Blue closed the exhibition slate with a 23-6 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Friday night and finished 2-1 in John Harbaugh’s first summer as head coach. Before the club can turn fully toward the September 13 opener against the Dallas Cowboys, they have to trim from the 90-player offseason limit to the 53-player regular-season maximum.

Follow along with their cuts here:

Harbaugh revealed to reports on Saturday that long-snapper Ben Mann has officially made the 53-man roster. He had no competition throughout the summer, so that comes as little surprise.

Harbaugh announced after Friday’s game that rookie Dominic Zvada has won the kicking competition.

“He’ll win the job; he’ll be the kicker,” Harbaugh told reporters.

Zvada went 3-for-3 on field goals against the Jets from 23, 53, and 46 yards and converted both extra points. The undrafted Michigan product finished the preseason perfect on field goals and extra points. That decision means Ben Sauls is expected to be released or traded. Nothing official has been announced on that front yet.

Wide receiver Calvin Austin III suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Tuesday's practice and was placed on injured reserve (IR) Thursday. The non-contact injury ended Austin’s first season in New York after he signed a one-year deal in free agency and had been lining up as a primary slot option.

Austin’s absence opened the door for others at wide receiver, including Odell Beckham Jr., Braxton Berrios and Dalen Cambre, as the Giants sort the final spots behind Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields.

Deadline: Sunday, August 30 at 6:00 p.m. ET.

The Giants will not practice again until after Sunday’s deadline, so their evaluation period is over. They have all of the information they need to start making moves.

There are still several question marks on the Giants' 90-man roster, which made the final 53-man roster projection a difficult one. The kicking job is settled with Zvada. Austin's placement on injured reserve removed one wide receiver from the 53-man math and tightened the remaining decisions among Beckham, Berrios and Cambre.

Final pre-cut Giants Wire 53-man roster projection

• Week 1, Aug. 15 | Minnesota Vikings 13, Giants 10
• Week 2, Aug. 22 | Giants 26, Miami Dolphins 3
• Week 3, Aug. 28 | Giants 23, New York Jets 6

• Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13 vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
• Week 2: Monday, Sept. 21 at Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
• Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 27 vs. Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 4 vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 11 at Washington Commanders, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
• Week 6: Sunday, Oct 18 vs. New Orleans Saints, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
• Week 7: Sunday, Oct 25 at Houston Texans, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
• Week 8: BYE
• Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 8 at Philadelphia Eagles, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
• Week 10: Thursday, Nov. 12 vs. Washington Commanders, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime
• Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 22 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 29 at Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
• Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6 vs. San Francisco 49ers, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
• Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 13 at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
• Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20 vs. Cleveland Browns, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 16: Monday, Dec. 28 at Detroit Lions, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 3 at Dallas Cowboys, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
• Week 18: Saturday/Sunday, Jan. 9/10 vs. Philadelphia Eagles, TBD, TBD

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants roster cuts: Tracking path to 53 players for 2026