22-07-2025
Giants' once-promising young tight end could be on the roster bubble this summer
New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger (82) on the field for day two of mandatory minicamp at the Giants training center on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, in East Rutherford. Danielle Parhizkaran/ / USA TODAY NETWORK
During his rookie 2022 season, Daniel Bellinger showed a lot of promise for the New York Giants. However, since then, he has been largely phased out of the offense and could now find himself on the roster bubble entering the 2025 season.
Is Daniel Bellinger on the roster bubble?
As a rookie third-round draft pick in 2022, Bellinger flashed potential.
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He totaled 30 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns receiving (plus one rushing touchdown) across 12 games before being knocked out of the lineup due to a fractured orbital bone.
New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger (82) grabs his face after a tackle by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (33) which took Bellinger out of the game with an injury to his face late in the second quarter. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the New York Giants at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL Sunday, October 23, 2022. The Jaguars trailed at the half 11 to 13. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] Jki 102322 Hsfb Bs Jaguars Vs Giants 46
Prior to that injury, Bellinger was locking down the Giants' starting tight end job. But then the Giants traded for Darren Waller in the offseason, derailing Bellinger's development into the starting role.
After Waller retired last offseason, the Giants drafted Theo Johnson, who then took over as the starter. Once again, Bellinger was supplanted.
The Giants could save money by releasing Bellinger
Now entering the third season of his career, Bellinger finds himself in an uphill battle to make the roster. Johnson is the projected starter, but behind him, Bellinger finds himself in a competition with the rest of the team's depth pieces.
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Among those competitors is rookie seventh-round pick Thomas Fidone II, and veterans such as Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich. Unfortunately for Bellinger, he finds himself as the most expensive of the three options.
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Releasing Bellinger would result in $3.4 million in cap savings for the Giants. He is the highest-paid tight end on the roster, despite being TE2 or even TE3 on the depth chart at this point.
As a result, the Giants could move on from Bellinger this summer. Training camp will be crucial for the third-year tight end as he fights to prove he is worth holding onto this season.
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