The New York Giants are 4-2-1 after seven weeks of this 2026 NFL season. They headed into their bye week alone in first place in the NFC East and managed to gain further ground as the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles both lost.
Here are five surprises for the Giants so far this season.
The comeback kids
Last season, the Giants lost several key players for the season to injury. Wide receiver Malik Nabers, running back Cam Skattebo, and inside linebacker Micah McFadden all went down with serious injuries early on.
The trio all underwent rigorous rehab processes and were all able to return for the start of this season. Nabers has 48 receptions for 605 yards and two touchdowns in seven games. That prorates to 116 receptions and 1,469 yards over a 17-game season. Pro
Bowl stuff.
Skattebo has had some rough spots, but after a stint in the doghouse, he came out firing last week, rushing for 124 yards and a score in the win over Houston. The Giants re-signed McFadden in free agency and are glad they did after losing Tremaine Edmunds to a shoulder injury a few weeks ago.
The NFC East has disintegrated
If you didn't know any better, you would think this is a race to the bottom rather than to the top. That matters not to the Giants. They see an opportunity here and are forging full speed ahead.
They lead the division with a 4-2-1 record, followed by Dallas at 3-5, Philadelphia at 2-6, and Washington at 2-4-1. The Giants are 1-0-1 in the division thus far and have 10 games left, four of which are against their NFC East rivals.
If the Giants split their final 10 games, they'll finish 9-7-1, which should be enough to win the division, especially if many of those wins come against division opponents.
The blank slate initiative
New head coach John Harbaugh took a look at the roster when he walked in the door and decided to give all the underachieving players a shot to redeem themselves.
The two main beneficiaries have been cornerback Deonte Banks and safety Tyler Nubin. Banks, a former first-round pick who was considered a washout, has played so well that he is garnering Pro Bowl consideration. Nubin, finally healthy again, is playing as he did two years ago as a rookie.
Two players who aren't making the best of their opportunities are center John Michael Schmitz and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, but there are 10 games remaining, and as we've seen, anything can happen.
Two franchise quarterbacks?
Jaxson Dart appeared as if he was going to be a force after his stellar opening game against Dallas. But that high didn't last. He blew out his knee in Week 2 against the Rams, which sent the team into Jameis Winston mode, something the Giants weren't quite planning on.
Winston played adequately and won some games, but he does not have the skill set to run the offense the coaches designed for Dart. General manager Joe Schoen worked out a trade with Minnesota for former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, a player who can do much of what Dart does.
McCarthy has given the Giants an offensive jolt and has them believing again. He has played so well that observers are beginning to wonder if the Giants will have a quarterback controversy next summer when Dart returns. A pleasant problem to have, I guess.
Resilience
The Giants can't seem to steer clear of injuries. They found solutions to Dart and Edmunds injuries, but have no answer for the loss of top pass-rusher Brian Burns.
Still, Harbaugh's glass remains half full. He won't let this team surrender. He has also solved the team's conditioning issues and their failure to play a full 60 minutes.
Instead of fading late in games, the Giants are closers this year.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 2026 New York Giants: 5 surprises no one saw coming
