The New York Giants have just two remaining games for the 2025-26 season, and it’s likely a season they’re looking forward to putting behind them, since they have a 2-13 record and are at the bottom of the NFC East. Their first game is against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, December 28, on the road, and their final showdown is against the Dallas Cowboys on January 4 at home.
As for Las Vegas game, even though both the Giants and Raiders are out of playoff contention, it’s always fun to watch late-season football. The pressure is off, and these two teams can just go at it with nothing to lose or gain. Of course, what’s hilarious is that online commenters have deemed this the NFL’s annual “tank bowl,” implying both teams want to tank to get a better draft spot. “The tank bowl,” one said on social media. “It’s a yearly ritual for us, glad to always be a part of it.”
Ahead of the Giants and Raiders game, the NFL has announced that they’re penalizing a Las Vegas Raiders player for his actions during the team’s game against the Houston Texans on Sunday, December 21, on the road. This player is being fined, but he’s not being suspended, so he’ll be available to participate in Sunday’s showdown.
Las Vegas Raiders Player in Trouble Before New York Giants Game
Each week during the season, the NFL gives punishments to players for things they did, that they shouldn’t have, during the previous week’s games. The NFL states on their official website that these actions are “to protect players from unnecessary risk and preserve competitive balance and game integrity.”
On Saturday, December 28, the NFL handed down a fine to Raiders defensive tackle Thomas Booker for a facemask violation and “unnecessary roughness” during the team’s Texans game. The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of the game at the 2:20 mark. At least for Booker, the funds raised from those fines will go a good cause in the Professional Athletes Foundation.
Looking Ahead for the New York Giants
On a positive note beyond the 2025-26 season, New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has managed to get the franchise’s salary cap under control, which will help the future of the franchise. The team doesn’t have the large dead cap hits they’ve had in the past, and that will pay off down the road.
According to research from Over the Cap, the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs have the lowest 2026 dead-cap space with roughly $216,000 each. So, they should both be able to take care of business during the offseason, which Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post points out.
“The Giants’ relatively blank slate from a salary-cap standpoint, their space jumps to $112 million in 2027 and $238 million in 2028, according to Over The Cap, and ability to navigate free agency or trades without financial limitation is one of the reasons the head coach vacancy is expected to be attractive to top candidates, as mentioned to The Post by multiple league sources,” Dunleavy states in the piece. So, the future looks good for the Giants.
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