Feb. 11, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET

There’s a new hierarchy and a new philosophy with the New York Giants this year, as a pivotal offseason is about to begin in a few weeks.

Joe Schoen may still be the general manager, but there’s more and more of a feeling that the organization has him on a tight leash. The arrival of John Harbaugh and his crew at 1925 Giants Drive means that Schoen will have to do two things going forward.

One, it looks as if he’ll have to pass his future personnel decisions through Harbaugh. Two, he’ll have to agree to cut ties with many of his past mistakes.

The first order of business is the decision on whether to exercise the fifth-year option on 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks. Doing so would cost the Giants approximately $12 million next year, fully guaranteed. Given Banks’ uneven first three seasons with the club, that isn’t going to happen. The Giants aren’t about to invest any further in the cornerback, who lost his starting job last season and is primarily being used on special teams. They have until May 1 to make the decision, but it will likely come sooner.

The Giants could attempt to deal Banks, but finding a suitor for him may not be as easy as it sounds. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and his $4.32 million contract is fully guaranteed, so cutting Banks offers no salary cap relief.

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The other former first-round pick that could be in play this offseason is 2022 first-rounder, linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giants exercised Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option last spring in anticipation of him returning to his 2023 form when he recorded 11.5 sacks.

Instead, Thibodeaux battled injuries for the second straight season and played in just 10 games. The Giants’ decision to retain the former Oregon standout for a fifth season now looks like a shaky one, especially after they drafted Abdul Carter over him last year. Carter is destined for stardom, and his presence means fewer snaps for Thibodeaux.

The Giants overplayed this hand. It’s not the end of the world, however. They are locked into his $14.75 million cap hit this year. The only way out would be to trade him. That could be easier than one would think. There are plenty of teams with massive cap space that could use a pass rusher.

If the Giants are going to move Thibodeaux, it would behoove them to do so before the 2026 NFL draft. They have no third-round pick this year, as it was used in the trade to snare Jaxson Dart last year, and the more picks they have in this transition year, the better.