Jalin Hyatt was the only “active” player not to get in the game.
— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) September 15, 2025
The New York Giants carried a 53-man roster and two practice squad activations into a Week 2 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Beforehand, they listed seven inactives, giving them 48 “dressed” players.
All but one of those players took at least a single snap on Sunday.
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart made his NFL debut with three snaps, while practice squad linebacker Swayze Bozeman played special teams and had five snaps on defense.
The only player who dressed and did not touch the field, for the second straight week, was wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.
Ahead of the regular season, Giants general manager Joe Schoen fielded multiple calls on Hyatt but opted to keep him. Instead of getting a return on the receiver, the team now appears to be wasting a roster spot on him.
“It was a little surprising,” Hyatt told NJ Advance Media of his non-existent role in Week 1. “But that’s maybe how the game was going. I can’t really dwell on that. I can’t really let that bring me down. It’s a long season.”
Hyatt was certain that Week 2 would yield more positive results for him and the team.
“Last year, these kinds of things started happening, and it got in my head too much,” he said. “So when I did have a chance, I didn’t take advantage of it. This year, I want to do it different. OK, I got zero snaps [in Week 1]. That’s cool. Let’s zone in on this week. Anything can happen. If my opportunity is there, I’m going to take advantage of it.
Neither of those prophecies came to fruition. The Giants lost an overtime thriller, 40-37, while Hyatt never got his opportunity.
What is the team’s plan for the 2023 third-round pick? If there is one, it doesn’t seem to be defined. If they don’t think Hyatt can contribute, it would have been best to trade him. And if they don’t intend to use him, Schoen needs to pick up the phone and call some of those interested parties back.