Giants plan to release WR Golladay, GM says

The New York Giants have told wide receiver Kenny Golladay he will be released after two horrible seasons. Speaking to Giants fans during a question-and-answer telephone session at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday, general manager Joe Schoen said the 29-year-old receiver recently was informed of the decision. A person with knowledge of the situation had told The Associated Press earlier Tuesday that the release would take place on March 15, the start of the league year.

Schoen said the team has not decided whether to release Golladay on that date or after June 1.

Doing it earlier would get Golladay and his four-year, $72 million contract off the books by the end of 2023. It would clear up $6.7 million in cap space this season and leave $14.7 million in dead cap money.

If the move came after June 1, the Giants would have a little extra cap space, but the Golladay contract would carry over to next season with $6.8 million in dead cap money. Golladay, who had two 1,000yard seasons with the Detroit Lions and caught 16 touchdowns combined in 2018 and ‘19, caught 43 passes and one touchdown in his time with the Giants. The TD came in the final game this past season. What the Giants decide might depend on how well Schoen does over the next week in negotiations with quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. Both are unrestricted free agents. Schoen hopes to get a longterm deal done with one of them by next Tuesday so he could avoid having to use a franchise tag on one of them. The deadline for using the tag is March 7.

Speaking to reporters at the combine in Indianapolis, Schoen said he was cautiously optimistic about getting deals done with both players. He said he talked with agents for both players at the combine.