New York Giants Basically Just Admitted an Expensive Failure

Back in March 2025, the New York Giants appeared to take a big step in solidifying their secondary by signing cornerback Paulson Adebo to a three-year, $54 million contract.

Considering Adebo had just completed four very impressive seasons for the New Orleans Saints, it looked like a slam-dunk signing for the Giants.

Of course, Adebo ended up being a significant disappointment in Year 1 of his deal, playing in just 12 games and putting forth a pedestrian effort when he was actually on the field.

The 26-year-old then didn't exactly make the best impression on head coach John Harbaugh by skipping the early stages of New York's offseason program, and he proceeded to struggle in training camp.

The end result? Adebo has been benched, as Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome II have been name the two starting cornerbacks for Big Blue.

Yes, Banks, the former first-round bust, has won a starting job over Adebo, who carries a $24.2 million cap hit this season. The fact that Newsome also beat out Adebo for a starting role is incredibly alarming, too.

While there is still time for Adebo to emerge and establish himself as a reliable member of the Giants' defensive backfield, it seems pretty clear that Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson are not liking what they are seeing.

To be fair, Banks and Newsome both fit Wilson's press-heavy scheme very well. Newsome even admitted that he targets the Giants in free agency because of Wilson. And with Banks standing 6-foot-2 and having put forth some great tape at Maryland, he might end up having some success in this new system.

But it's the very idea that New York is benching a player it paid $54 million that is the main story here.

Yes, I understand that Adebo's contract did not happen on Harbaugh's watch, and again, it looked like a good deal at the time. Hindsight is 20/20. But that doesn't make it any less debilitating.

The Giants' cornerback room is among the most questionable in the NFL, even if Newsome apparently feels it's the best. And it's that cornerback room that could ultimately sabotage New York this season, especially in an NFC East featuring some nasty wide receivers.

Adebo has officially lost his job. Now, it's on him to show Harbaugh why he deserves to have it back ... if he's capable.