The New York Giants are moving on from kicker Graham Gano, the team’s longest-tenured specialist, after six seasons in East Rutherford. Connor Hughes of SNY confirmed the news Sunday, ending what had been widely expected ever since Gano’s 2025 campaign collapsed before November.
The 38-year-old was on the final year of a three-year, $16.5 million contract and had appeared in just five games last season due to two separate stints on injured reserve. The release saves New York $4.5 million in cap space while carrying a $1.25 million dead money charge, per Over the Cap. It is the end of one of the more dependable kicking tenures in recent franchise history.
Giants Already Addressed the Kicker Position Before Officially Cutting Gano
New York did not wait for the announcement to act. The Giants signed former All-Pro kicker Jason Sanders to a one-year deal earlier in free agency, making Gano’s release a matter of when, not if.
Sanders, 30, carries a career field goal percentage of 84.6% and earned All-Pro honors in 2020, per ESPN’s Giants free agency tracker.
BREAKING: The #Giants are releasing K Graham Gano, sources tell @SNYtv pic.twitter.com/VV9bm1P5K7
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) March 30, 2026
USATSI 21285517 168400517 lowres
East Rutherford, NJ August 26, 2023 — Graham Gano of the Giants kicked three field goals. The NY Jets against the NY Giants on August 26, 2023 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, as the rivals play their final preseason game before the start of the NFL season.
He missed the entire 2025 season with a hip injury, so the job in New York is not automatically his.
Rookie Ben Sauls, who stabilized the position late in 2025, is also on the roster. Head coach John Harbaugh, in his first offseason running the Giants, has signaled that every spot on the roster is open competition.
There was also a procedural reason the Giants waited on cutting Gano. Under the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, releasing a player who cannot pass a physical can trigger the Injury Protection Benefit clause, according to Pro Football Rumors.
That potential liability sat at up to $2.1 million. The Giants waited until they were on firm ground before making the move official.
What Gano Built in New York and What His Future in the NFL Looks Like
Gano went undrafted out of Florida State in 2009 and played for Washington and Carolina before landing with the Giants.
His first three seasons in New York were his best. Between 2020 and 2022, he converted 91.8% of his field goals. He also connected on 26 field goals from beyond 50 yards during his Giants tenure, the most in franchise history.
Then the injuries started piling up. A knee problem cut his 2023 season short. A hamstring issue followed in 2024. In 2025, both a groin injury and a herniated disc in his neck landed him on injured reserve twice, limiting him to five games.
New York Giants, Graham Gano
New York Giants place kicker Graham Gano (9) warms up with New York Giants punter Jamie Gillan (6) during a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024.
After the neck injury was confirmed last November, Gano spoke candidly with ESPN.
“It’s unbelievably frustrating,” he said. “Obviously all I want to do is play football. I can’t control the injuries that have happened.”
At 38, turning 39 next month, Gano’s path back to an NFL roster is uncertain. His accuracy, on the occasions he was available, was never the issue.
The Giants move ahead with Sanders and Sauls competing for the job under Harbaugh. If neither locks it down through camp, the search could continue.
Whether any team takes a chance on Gano is worth watching. His leg has not lost much. His body, unfortunately, has become the bigger question.