Paulson Adebo, New York Giants
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Kendre Miller #5 of the New Orleans Saints is tackled by Paulson Adebo #21 of the New York Giants in the game at Caesars Superdome.
Last offseason, the New York Giants went on a bit of a spending spree, presumably because general manager Joe Schoen and then-head coach Brian Daboll knew they were entering a do-or-die season.
Schoen tried to address multiple holes via free agency, and typically, that’s not the best idea. After years of bad draft picks, he got desperate.
Safety Jevon Holland was given a three-year $45.3 million contract, and he didn’t exactly play up to that salary this past season.
Edge Chauncey Golston got a three-year, $18 million deal, and he only ended up playing in 10 games and recorded one sack.
All the spending left the Giants somewhat handicapped this offseason, and they had to make a handful of difficult cuts and restructure some contracts just to be an active player in free agency.
But one contract stands out amongst the bunch as the worst, leaving Bleacher Report to name him the most overpaid player on the roster.
CB Paulson Adebo Named Most Overpaid Giant
B/R’s Brad Gagnon named cornerback Paulson Adebo as the most overpaid player on the New York Giants, thanks to the three-year, $54 million contract he signed with New York last offseason.
The deal pays him an average annual salary of $18 million per year, making him the 15th highest-paid cornerback in the league.
“Like Bland, the injury-prone Adebo got paid big bucks last offseason based on a standout 2023 campaign. But he struggled to stay on the field and was often exposed in coverage in his first year with the G-Men. His $24.2 million 2026 cap hit ranks fourth in the league among players at his position,” wrote Gagnon.
Had it not been for the Adebo contract, and of course, Schoen whiffing on 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks, the Giants likely would’ve been able to retain homegrown talent Cor’Dale Flott this offseason.
Despite being paid like one of the NFL’s top corners, Adebo did not perform like it last season. He missed five games due to injury, and recorded only one interception and broke up eight passes, his lowest output in statistical production since 2022.
The former New Orleans Saints draft pick had a Pro Football Focus grade of 58.4, making him the 74th-best corner out of 114 qualified players in 2025.
Clearly, Schoen and the Giants missed on this one.
Can the Giants Cut Paulson Adebo?
Unfortunately, the New York Giants are stuck with Adebo for at least one more season. The contract Schoen handed him last spring is rock solid until 2027.
If the Giants were to cut him now, it would incur a $29.9 million dead cap hit and totally nuke New York’s remaining available salary.
According to Over the Cap, the Giants only have about $3 million in remaining space, and getting rid of Adebo would drop that down to -$26 million.
New York has no choice but to bank on the fact that John Harbaugh and new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson will be able to get more out of Adebo than the last coaching staff, because they are stuck with him for at least one more season.