It’s well known by now that the 2025 New York Giants lost their way almost from the start of the season, a year in which the team fired its head coach and defensive coordinator.
But just how bad did it get for the Giants? According to a stat posted by Tony Holzman-Escareno, an NFL senior researcher whose X account is listed under the handle NFL_Researcher, the Giants were tied for fourth with the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Chargers, and Miami Dolphins for having started the most players (48) over the year.
Most players to start a game in 2025…
1. Titans - 51
2. Jets - 51
3. Packers - 50
4. Chargers - 48
4. Giants - 48
4. Cowboys - 48
4. Commanders - 48
4. Dolphins - 48
Fewest starters in 2025…
28. Bears - 40
28. Bengals - 40
30. Seahawks - 38
30. Patriots - 38
32. Rams - 36
— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) March 29, 2026
The Giants' placement comes just behind the Titans and Jets (both with 51) and the Packers (50) in the rankings. The Packers and Chargers both opted to rest their starters in their respective Week 18 games after securing postseason berths.
Sticking solely with the Giants, who finished with just four wins in yet another disappointing season that led to a near-clean sweep of the coaching staff, the Giants’ woes with keeping a consistent starting lineup were largely due to injuries.
According to SIS, the Giants had 278 man games missed, seventh most in the league last season.
Among those injured players who missed multiple games were key cornerstones such as left tackle Andrew Thomas, receiver Malik Nabers, running back Cam Skattebo, kicker Graham Gano, linebacker Micah McFadden, running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr., safety Jevon Holland, and cornerback Paulson Adebo.
Injuries explosed a lack of depth
The lack of depth at certain positions meant that the Giants had to go through trial and error to find suitable fill-ins. For example, the team rolled out James Hudson III and Marcus Mbow at left tackle when Thomas was unavailable. They also went with multiple combinations at cornerback when Adebo was sidelined.
The need for so many combinations underscores the question of whether the Giants had solid depth across the board. This is something the Giants have sought to beef up with the arrival of new head coach John Harbaugh, as injuries can strike at random.
In addition to the depth, Harbaugh has taken the next step by bringing many from the Ravens’ sports science staff to better analyze players' practices and load management, so that no one ends up overly susceptible to injury.
That said, questions remain about the MetLife Stadium turf, which received the lowest possible grade inthe 2026 NFLPA report cards, and whether it plays a role in some of the injuries that have cut down both home and visiting players over the years.
While that topic remains up for debate, if the Giants can control the injury bug, the next time they rank at the top of this stat will be because they, too, are getting ready for a postseason run and have chosen to rest their starters.
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