Ben Sauls, come on down!
The way it looks, the 24-year-old rookie will become the eighth different kicker to attempt a field goal or an extra point for the Giants since the start of the 2023 season.
Sauls was signed Nov. 11 to the practice squad and is now the only kicker on the roster, with Younghoe Koo’s release on Tuesday.
Sauls spent five years at Pittsburgh, and in his college career hit 52 of his 64 field goal attempts and went 122 for 124 on extra points.
He was not drafted and earlier this season spent time with the Steelers and Falcons but has not appeared in an NFL game.
It sounds as if the Giants could bring in another kicker in time for Sunday’s game against the Vikings at MetLife Stadium.
“Well, I mean, that’s the discussion that we’ve got to have, but right now, we’re confident in what Ben has,’’ interim head coach Mike Kafka said Wednesday.
The kickers used by the Giants the past three seasons are Graham Gano, Mason Crosby, Randy Bullock, Jamie Gillan (punter filling in), Greg Joseph, Jude McAtamney and Koo. Sauls would be the fourth kicker used this season.
That is called a kicking carousel.
“No, I think it’s a great opportunity for Ben, for him to step up and go kick for our team,’’ Kafka said. “We’ve dealt with injuries, and injuries happen all across the league. So, there’s no excuses with that, it happens at every position, quarterbacks, O-line, D-line, you see it across the league, you see it across each team. So, it’s just another opportunity for Ben to go step up for us.’’
Now that his 21-day window to return to the active roster has opened, there are no illusions that OT Evan Neal will actually make his 2025 debut.
Neal has not played a snap this season and there are no plans to get a look at him in actual games the rest of the way.
“That’s not really in the thought process,’’ Kafka said. “We’ve got five guys that are playing their butt off right now for us and we’re not looking to make any changes.’’
Neal was a full participant in practice.
Will OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux play again this season?
He has missed the past four games dealing with a shoulder issue and he did not practice on Wednesday.
He will likely miss a fifth straight game Sunday, against the Vikings, and it is reasonable to wonder why he was not put on injured reserve a month ago, a move that would have kept him out four games and allowed the Giants to use his roster spot on another player.
WR Beaux Collins, LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches also did not practice. Gillan was a limited participant after missing the past game with a left knee injury. … KR Gunner Olszewski cleared concussion protocol.
