Giants Roster and Cap Check: Berrios to Injured Reserve, Haener Signed, Cap Databases $300,413 Apart
Spotrac reported that an Oct. 6 restructure of defensive lineman Chauncey Golston's contract freed $1.68 million, and Over the Cap and Spotrac now both charge J.J. McCarthy's $1,706,800 roster bonus to Minnesota.
The Giants placed wide receiver Braxton Berrios on injured reserve Wednesday and signed quarterback Jake Haener from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. They also signed wide receiver Dontae Fleming to the practice squad. All three moves are dated Oct. 7 on the giants.com transaction wire and the NFL.com signings and reserve list wires.
As of Friday morning, those were the only Giants transactions posted on either wire since Sunday's 36-24 win over Arizona. Safety Jason Pinnock (concussion) and defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (neck) also left that game, and both remain on the active roster.
Berrios, Pinnock and Golston
Berrios hurt his foot on a punt return against the Cardinals. Giants coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Berrios was "not on IR at this point" and that the team's first look for a replacement would be internal (transcript). ESPN reported that Berrios announced on Instagram he needs surgery that will end his season. Assistant head coach Chris Horton, who runs the special teams, said Thursday that the Giants have "all the confidence in Charlie" Jones to replace Berrios as the returner (transcript).
Pinnock and Golston did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. Asked Wednesday whether Golston's injury is long-term, Harbaugh said, "Could be, could be. He's getting second opinions right now, looking into it now" (transcript).
Haener's 11 days
Wednesday's signing is the second time in 11 days the Giants have signed Haener from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. The Giants signed him to the 53 on Sept. 26, waived him Sept. 28, the same day they acquired J.J. McCarthy from Minnesota, and re-signed him to the practice squad Sept. 30. On Saturday, Oct. 3, they elevated him for the next day's game against Arizona.
The 53-man roster now carries three quarterbacks: Jameis Winston, McCarthy and Haener. Jaxson Dart is on injured reserve, and the practice squad has no quarterback. Harbaugh said Monday that McCarthy backing up Winston against the Washington Commanders is "definitely on the table."
Elevations
Outside linebacker Trace Ford, elevated with Haener on Oct. 3, is back on the practice squad. Standard elevations revert after the game, and neither wire lists the reversion. Ford has used one of his three elevations for the season. Linebacker Malik Harrison has used all three, on Sept. 12, Sept. 21 and Sept. 26. Under the league's limit of three per player, the Giants would have to sign Harrison to the 53 to play him again.
Moves since Sept. 29
| Date | Move |
|---|---|
| Sept. 29 | Wide receivers Braxton Berrios and Charlie Jones signed to 53 from practice squad; outside linebacker Brian Burns to injured reserve; wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. released; defensive lineman P.J. Mustipher signed to practice squad |
| Sept. 30 | Defensive lineman Josh Tupou released from 53; quarterback Jake Haener signed to practice squad |
| Oct. 1 | Outside linebacker Jihad Ward signed off Vikings' practice squad; Tupou signed to practice squad |
| Oct. 2 | Offensive lineman Darian Kinnard released from practice squad; offensive lineman Kendrick Green signed to practice squad |
| Oct. 3 | Outside linebacker Trace Ford and quarterback Jake Haener elevated (standard elevation) |
| Oct. 7 | Wide receiver Braxton Berrios to injured reserve; quarterback Jake Haener signed to 53 from practice squad; wide receiver Dontae Fleming signed to practice squad |
| Oct. 8-9 | None posted as of Friday morning |
Outside linebacker Jihad Ward, signed off Minnesota's practice squad Oct. 1, is on the 53-man roster. Defensive lineman Josh Tupou and offensive lineman Kendrick Green are on the practice squad.
The cap
The one cap move of the week appears on no transaction wire. Spotrac reported Tuesday morning that the Giants converted $3.36 million of Golston's salary into bonus, creating $1.68 million in 2026 space. Both databases now list Golston's 2026 base salary at $1,887,500.
Spotrac lists the Giants with $10,081,268 in cap space, and its page reflects Wednesday's moves. Over the Cap lists $10,381,681. As of Friday morning, Over the Cap still carried Berrios on the active roster and Haener on the practice squad. It had no line for Fleming or Mustipher and still listed Kinnard on the practice squad a week after his release. The two figures are $300,413 apart.
McCarthy's roster bonus
Both databases now put McCarthy's $1,706,800 roster bonus for 2026 on Minnesota's books. Our Week 4 roster and cap check reported that Over the Cap had listed the bonus as a Giants charge. Over the Cap's McCarthy page now shows a $0 roster bonus for the Giants and $5,064,566 in 2026 dead money for Minnesota. Spotrac lists the bonus inside Minnesota's $5,134,491 accrued charge. We found no team or league document that addresses it.
The two databases still disagree on how McCarthy's $1,075,000 base salary splits between the teams. Spotrac charges Minnesota $238,892 and the Giants $836,108. Over the Cap charges the Giants $895,833, which leaves Minnesota $179,167, three-eighteenths of the salary. Ward, who also joined from Minnesota after Week 3, carries the same two figures: $895,833 on Over the Cap and $836,108 on Spotrac.
McCarthy's 2027 salary of $3,775,200 is fully guaranteed in both databases: a $1,190,000 base salary and a $2,585,200 roster bonus.
The roster as of Friday
As of Friday morning, the Giants have 53 players on the active roster, 17 on the practice squad, including international player Jarrod Gray, and 10 on injured reserve, including cornerback Korie Black, who carries a return designation. The final injury report for Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders is due Friday afternoon.