John Harbaugh, New York Giants
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Head coach John Harbaugh of the New York Giants speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The New York Giants may be turning the page on the Graham Gano era, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday evening that the team has signed former Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders.
The former All-Pro kicker was released by Miami ahead of the legal tampering period, after missing all of the 2025 season with a hip injury. Now, he hopes to find a new home in New York with former special teams coach John Harbaugh.
Sanders is the second All-Pro specialist New York has picked up this offseason, joining Jordan Stout, the new highest-paid punter in the NFL.
The Giants haven’t officially cut ties with Gano, but the move would save $4.5 million in cap space, which is some money they may need as we move deeper into free agency.
Giants’ Graham Gano Woes
Gano has been the New York Giants kicker since signing with the team in 2020, and there have certainly been some highs and lows.
First, the highs. The former Carolina Panthers kicker was legitimately good his first three years in New York. He never missed more than four kicks from 2020 to 2023, and was especially solid from long range.
Then, age caught up to him. In his final three seasons with the Giants, Gano suffered multiple injuries, sometimes before and during games, that caused him to appear in only 23 of 51 possible starts.
On two separate occasions, Gano was injured in pregame warmups, leaving New York without a kicker in Week 1 of the 2024 season against the Washington Commanders, and in Week 3 of the 2025 season at home vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both games ended in losses.
From 2023 to 2025, the Giants utilized eight different kickers, not including Gano, and even had punter Jamie Gillan attempting field goals and extra points in emergencies.
It’s a wonder general manager Joe Schoen let it go for so long.
Sanders is no sure thing himself. As previously mentioned, he missed the entirety of last season, and the Giants may be hanging onto Gano as insurance in case things don’t work out over the summer.
Giants Make Jordan Stout the Highest Paid Punter
The New York Giants’ other special teams agreement was with former Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout.
On Day 1 of the legal tampering period, the Giants made Stout a priority, inking him to a three-year, $12.3 million deal, per Schefter.
Baltimore drafted Stout in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which should go to show just how highly valued he was coming out of college.
Obviously, Harbaugh and his special teams roots had an impact on the selection.
In his final year with the Ravens, Stout was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler, punting the ball an average of 50.1 yards per boot, good for fourth in the league.
To put it into perspective, former Giants punter Jamie Gillan was 30th in the league with a 44.5-yard average.
Harbaugh, a former special teams coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, is clearly emphasizing the sometimes forgotten third phase of the game.
It’s the little things that the new Giants head coach is hoping to change in New York, and it may lead to an extra edge on the margins in 2026.