The New York Giants are in the process of making the big cutdown from 90 to their initial 53-man roster. Once that’s done, the next big order of business for the Giants is to assemble their practice squad for the start of the season.
The Giants have until 1 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 31 to claim players on the waiver wire. They can then begin signing players to their practice squad. Vested veterans (veterans with at least four accrued seasons) can be signed immediately after being released by their former
team, while non-vested players must pass through waivers before being signed to the practice squad.
The Giants can have up to six (6) veterans on their practice squad, and any practice squad player can be elevated to the active roster on game day three times in a season without having to be signed to the active roster or subject to the waiver wire.
The Giants are still (as of this writing) 2.5-point underdogs week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, per FanDuel. And while being able to elevate a player off the practice squad is unlikely to swing those odds, having emergency depth — or not having it — has played a role in the outcome of games for the Giants before.
The NFL’s practice squads are typically 16 players, with a 17th spot set aside for players in the International Pathway Program. For the Giants, 6-foot-7, 318-pound offensive lineman Jarrod Gray seems to be the likely candidate for that spot. Gray is a former rugby star from Australia who spent the summer as the 91st player on the Giants’ roster as an International player.
2026 practice squad signings
To come as players are signed
