New York Giants Just Opened Up Some More Cap Space

The New York Giants have gotten off to a 3-1 start in spite of rampant injuries, and heading into their Week 5 matchup against the Washington Commanders, they made an intriguing move.

The Giants opened up some cap space by converting $3.36 million of Golston's 2026 base salary into a bonus, freeing up $1.68 million, via Spotrac.

New York will now have about $11.5 million in cap room going into Week 5, which gives the Giants some more wiggle room to operate with the NFL trade deadline looming.

New York signed Golston to a three-year, $18 million contract in March 2025, hoping he would become an integral piece along the team's defensive front.

That did not happen during Golston's debut campaign with Big Blue, as he missed time due to injuries and finished with just 20 tackles and a sack through 10 games.

Golston was also buried on the depth chart behind several other Giants edge rushers, so he only played in 27 percent of his team's defensive snaps when he was available.

This year has been a bit of a different story.

Golston has not lit it up on the stat sheet, having logged 12 tackles through four games, but he has played in 52 percent of New York's defensive snaps, and his versatility has ben very useful for the club.

The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Iowa, was originally selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

He was a part-time player his first three seasons, but then, in 2024, Golston broke out, playing in every game and registering 56 tackles, 5.5 sacks, an interception and five passes defended.

That showing earned him a multi-year deal with the Giants, although he clearly wasn't utilized properly in Year 1.

At 6-foot-5, 277 pounds, Golston has the size to play on the interior as well as line up on the edge, and New York has been employing him in a variety of different ways in 2026.

Golston isn't a star by any means, but he is a very solid depth piece who could be very valuable in the right system.

Thus far this season, head coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson seem to be utilizing him far better than he was used in 2025.

We'll see if the Giants ultimately decide to do anything with the extra cap room they've now accrued.

The NFL trade deadline is on Nov. 10.