The New York Giants are not done at center after setting their initial 53-man roster.
Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports that the Giants are expected to target a center to challenge John Michael Schnitz ahead of their Week 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys.
League sources told The Post that center is a position the Giants are thought to be targeting before Week 1, with an eye out for a potential challenger to Schmitz.
The report followed Sunday’s cuts, when the club released veteran interior lineman Lucas Patrick and kept second-year pro Bryan Hudson as the backup center and ninth offensive lineman. Patrick had signed in April to give New York experienced insurance on the interior.
John Michael Schmitz, a 2023 second-round pick, remains
the starter and the only remaining starter from general manager Joe Schoen's first two draft classes. He has started 41 games, but the production has never matched the draft capital.
After a difficult rookie season, JMS improved in 2024 and then leveled off in 2025 with a 60.8 PFF grade that ranked 29th among 40 qualified centers. He allowed 14 pressures and one sack last year, missed time with a finger injury, and later dealt with a concussion in training camp. He is in the final year of his rookie contract.
The Giants already shopped the position in free agency. Head coach John Harbaugh was linked to former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, who instead signed a three-year, $81 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Backup Austin Schlottmann left for Tennessee. Patrick was the later veteran addition.
With Week 1 approaching, New York is circling back to the middle of the line.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Report: New York Giants shopping for a center ahead of Week 1
