The grin started to spread across Joe Schoen’s face as he answered the question. So much has already changed for the Giants since September, since Jaxson Dart went down in Week 2 with a season-ending left knee injury that included damage to the PCL, MCL and meniscus. Since Brian Burns tore his ACL. Since injuries changed the complexion of this Big Blue roster and reframed expectations for 2026.
But, as Schoen and the Giants enter the bye week at 4-2-1 and in sole possession of first place in the NFC East, does he view his group as one capable of making a run to the playoffs? “We’re about to find out,” Schoen said Tuesday.
The next two weeks — beyond the pair of critical division games in four days against the Eagles and Commanders following the bye — will provide a tangible glimpse into Schoen’s thinking too, with the Nov. 10 trade deadline looming.
Schoen stuck to the company line Tuesday, maintaining that he’ll consider both the short- and long-term ramifications with possible deals ahead of a draft year in which the Giants already don’t have fourth- and fifth-round picks. But, Schoen said, the injuries to Dart and Burns wouldn’t prevent him from making moves.
“I mean, that really doesn’t affect us now,” Schoen said of the injuries to star players. “… That really won’t impact what we do. Again, we’re going to look at it from a short term and long term, any move that we make, if that makes sense. That really won’t play much into it right at this moment.”
Schoen didn’t sit behind the table in an auditorium and proclaim they’re going all in, willing to spend any pick required to add everything that’s needed. He didn’t pump the brakes, either, in a year when they’ll only have their starting quarterback for 76 snaps. The first NFL dominoes, though, already fell Tuesday, when the Colts sent guard Quentin Nelson to the Seahawks for third- and fifth-round picks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the 49ers for a fourth-rounder. Big Blue could look to upgrade at defensive line, offensive line and running back, but some of the puzzle pieces have already started to shift.
Back in 2022, when the Giants were 6-2 leading up to the trade deadline and en route to the playoffs, the only deal Schoen made was to send Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs for a pair of draft picks. The only addition they made didn’t come until Nov. 1 passed, when they claimed wideout Isaiah Hodgins off waivers. They didn’t add via trade until the following March with the Darren Waller deal.
This cycle, Schoen will possess a limited number of picks to work with. He gave up a 2027 fourth-rounder to move up and land rookie wideout Malachi Fields in April and gave up his fifth-rounder to land quarterback J.J. McCarthy — now their starter after Dart’s injury and Jameis Winston’s benching. The Giants, Schoen said, are happy to have both Fields and McCarthy, and they could always look to add draft capital back in the future.
“In some situations, that may rule some players out,” Schoen said of the Giants not having fourth- and fifth-rounders. “Maybe that’s what their value is. Maybe a third is too rich or a sixth isn’t enough, so then you start looking into future picks and contract status, where we are depth-wise.
“… So, we’re going to look at all the options that are available. And there’s certain teams that have already started some trades, and we’ve been in contact with those teams and have a pretty good idea of who may or may not be available.”
The Giants, though, have “earned the right” to lead the NFC East, Schoen said. They’ve earned the meaningful games in November and December that have been elusive for this franchise since his first year in 2022. At the bye week the last three years, Big Blue has been 2-11, 2-8 and 4-8.
And by the time the dust settles Nov. 10, by the time the deadline passes, the ultimate solution to Schoen’s deadline calculus — to add or not to add, to reinforce his roster or continue trusting in the group that navigated unexpected circumstances and got them to this point — will come into focus.
“We’re gonna canvas the league and see what’s available and what the cost may be to upgrade the roster,” Schoen said, “and if it makes sense, we’ll certainly do that.”
