Giants won't exercise Evan Neal's fifth-year option

The Giants won’t be picking up the fifth-year option of General Manager Joe Schoen’s first draft pick.

After this year’s draft came to a close, Schoen announced at a press conference that the team will be declining its 2026 option on offensive lineman Evan Neal’s contract. Neal was the seventh overall pick in 2022.

Neal opened his Giants career as their right tackle and started 13 games as a rookie, but struggled during his second season. That led to booing from Giants fans at home games and it led to Neal lashing out at those fans. He dismissed their jeers because they “flip hot dogs and hamburgers somewhere” before saying lions don’t concern themselves with the opinions of sheep.

Neal moved to guard in 2024 and started the final seven games of the year, but he is not currently expected to be a starter during the 2025 season.