Anthony Rivardo
Jon Runyan Jr. is heading into the final season of the three-year, $30 million deal he signed in 2024, and the Giants can walk away from it this summer for a $9.25 million cap savings. That number is the whole story of his roster spot.
John Harbaugh built his coaching identity on winning the line of scrimmage, and one of his first moves in New York was importing a guard he already trusted. Runyan’s seat was warm before the pads ever came on.
The Contract The Giants Can Escape
Runyan carries a $11.75 million cap hit in 2026 on a $9 million base salary, with only $2.5 million in dead money left on the deal, according to Spotrac. Releasing him frees $9.25 million against the cap, one of the cleanest cut candidates on the roster from a pure accounting view. A front office that just traded Dexter Lawrence for a top-10 pick has shown it will move off expensive veterans when the math stops working, and Runyan’s math is working against him.
The Tape Behind The Money
Runyan earned a 52.9 overall PFF grade in 2025, ranking 67th among 81 qualified guards, and his run-blocking grade cratered to a career-worst 49.2, per his PFF page. Those marks would be tolerable on a rookie deal; they are hard to justify at $9 million for a coaching staff that wants to line up and run downhill. Harbaugh’s offenses in Baltimore leaned on guards who could move bodies in the run game, and that is the exact category where Runyan graded near the bottom of the league last season.
Faalele Is Harbaugh’s Guy
Daniel Faalele followed Harbaugh’s blueprint to New York on a one-year, $1.4 million deal with a cap hit of just $1.26 million. PFF graded the 6-foot-8 mauler as its 51st-ranked guard of 79 qualifiers in 2025, ahead of Runyan despite costing a fraction of the price. Faalele took interior reps this spring, former first-round pick Evan Neal is another candidate to kick inside, and rookie Francis Mauigoa is already penciled in at right guard. The competition around Runyan is real, cheaper, and younger.
The Rest Of The Interior Raises The Stakes
Center John Michael Schmitz is in a contract year of his own after a 60.8 PFF grade that ranked 29th of 40 centers, carrying a modest $4.33 million cap hit that makes him easier to keep than Runyan. Andrew Thomas anchors the left tackle spot on a $24 million cap number and remains the unit’s one settled star — but Thomas’s health is a critical variable. Everything between Thomas and the sideline is up for grabs, and Harbaugh has made clear he intends to win those jobs on merit rather than seniority.
| Metric | Jon Runyan | Daniel Faalele |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 PFF guard rank | 67th of 81 | 51st of 79 |
| 2026 cap hit | $11.75M | $1.26M |
| 2026 base salary | $9M | ~$1.13M |
| Dead cap if released | $2.5M | Minimal |
| Contract | 3 yr, $30M (final year) | 1 yr, $1.4M |
Runyan is a technically sound veteran who can still hold up in pass protection, and none of that is in dispute. The problem is that the Giants are paying starter money for bottom-tier run blocking while a cheaper option who graded higher sits one locker over. When the pads come on at The Greenbrier, Runyan has to prove he is worth nine times his challenger’s price. The cap sheet says he is not.
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