Why Tight Ends Mattered More Than Ever for the Giants

The New York Giants have had a long, arduous season. There was no way that it was going to be an easy year from the moment the NFL’s schedule came out. The Giants started off as a tough team and pulled through in several games, finishing with a 4-13 record. However, during the season, they had to rely heavily on other players. After the loss of Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers, the Giants leaned on their running backs, Tyrone Tracy Jr, and wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, with their main stars being out. The Giants also had to rely on other positions, such as their tight ends, which helped them pull through in tough times during the regular season.

The Giants really leaned on both of their tight ends, Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson. These two made a point of making as many plays as possible in New York. These two players, the  Giants should really hold on to and add more into the scheme of the team moving into the offseason and free agency. Bellinger and Johnson became the openings for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart on multiple occasions when no one else was available for him to pass the ball to. If there was no available, Dart didn’t have a choice but to choose these two when getting the ball up in the air. Both Bellinger and Johnson were the ones who usually waited down the field for the ball to fall into their hands. 

Bellinger had a great season towards the end of this year. He had 17 out of 24 receptions that went for 248 yards. Every time Dart had passed the ball to him, it had gone for 14.6 yards, and his longest one during the season was 44 yards. Bellinger should be someone the Giants should work to keep. He is set to enter into free agency unless the Giants decide to extend him for longer. He is definitely someone that the Giants should stick with to keep their tight end spot filled. He made a difference and really put the action into plays for this team. 

Johnson was the second tight end who got the ball moving up the field when the Giants really needed it to. He played almost the entire season for Big Blue. He had 45 receptions out of 74. In total, Johnson received the ball for 528 yards and moved the ball 11.7 yards per reception. This tight end also scored the Giants’ five touchdowns over the course of the season. His production has increased since his rookie year. He was the Giants’ primary receiver and someone New York heavily leaned on. He is not going anywhere for the next two years, and with that being said, Dart may be leaning on him just as much as Nabers and Skattebo in the 2026 NFL season. 

Not only did they lean on these two, but the Giants also leaned on their third tight end, Chris Manhertz. Manhertz was able to use his blocking ability to help during game time over the course of this season. He also contributed to the Giants’ run game and helped build the offensive versatility. Manhertz played all 17 games during the course of this season; however, he had only one reception for seven yards. He continued to be valuable by putting the work in and making sure the stops were made on his opponents. 

Ultimately, the Giants’ tight ends on the offense are what the Giants have leaned heavily on both of them this season. On a week-by-week basis, these two were often the ones making the plays happen in the red zone. Bellinger has been reliable all season, who did the dirty work and knew how to flash on the field when given the opportunity too just when the Giants needed it. Johnson made some real growth and more that will lean into the next season. He’s emerging as a stronger dynamic on this team to make the plays happen on the field. Without these players, the Giants wouldn’t have done as well. These tight ends have really helped uplift the Giants’ roster this past season and helped with the start of putting this team back on the map. Moving forward, it all depends on the direction of what this offense wants to do during this offseason.