The New York Giants weren’t exactly flush with cap space entering the 2026 season, and they were forced to get creative to free up some flexibility for potential additions.
Right before they kicked off their regular season this past weekend, the Giants did just that, restructuring safety Jevon Holland’s contract to give them some more cap space for the current season, per Over the Cap.
“The Giants gave themselves a little more breathing room with the salary cap with a simple restructure of Jevon Holland’s contract. The team converted $11.685 million of his salary to a bonus to reduce Holland’s 2026 salary cap figure by $5.84 million,” wrote OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald.
“The team did not add any void years so his 2027 salary cap number will increase by the same $5.84 million. Holland’s 2027 cap number now stands at $24.7 million. Following the restructure the Giants now have a comfortable $12.7 million for 2026.”
Now, the Giants have some breathing room to make a move, but what could that potential addition be?
Giants Linked to Joey Porter Jr. Trade After Restructure
On a recent episode of NYG411, a weekly show hosted by New York Giants insiders Connor Hughes and Dan Duggan, Duggan speculated that the team may have freed up the extra cap space to capitalize on a potential cornerback trade.
Namely, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who is in the midst of a contract dispute with his current team.
“This is like the Brian Windhorst meme, where the Giants restructured Jevon Holland’s contract to clear $6 million in cap space… Why would you just clear $6 million in cap space randomly? Joey Porter’s base salary, he’s on a rookie deal, is $3.9 million,” Duggan told Hughes.
“Listen, after Week 1 would be a random time for a trade. Except for the fact that you’re dealing with a guy who is unhappy with his contract, didn’t play in the opener with a ‘back injury…’ I can’t sit here and rule it out.”
Porter trade rumors have been floating around dating back to the summer, and things haven’t gotten much better considering the Steelers’ stance of refusing to talk contracts in-season.
Trading for the former Penn State standout would certainly inject some much-needed talent into New York’s secondary, but should they actually do it?
Joey Porter’s Fit With the Giants
The price for a potential Porter trade for the New York Giants is likely a steep one, and for good reason. He’s one of the league’s most talented young cornerbacks and has shown improvement with each passing season.
Last year, he was Pro Football Focus’s 20th-best coverage cornerback in 2025, recording a grade of 74.1. He allowed a 56.2 passer rating when targeted in coverage and broke up 11 passes.
Considering the state of the Giants’ cornerback room, he would step in as an immediate starter over either Greg Newsome or Deonte Banks, but again, the cost would be high.
Not only would he require a new top-of-the-market contract, but New York would likely have to give up a fairly valuable 2027 Day 2 draft pick for his services.
If Big Blue believes they’re just one cornerback away from turning themselves into a legitimate playoff contender, they should make the deal.
Giants’ Jevon Holland Restructure Could Lead to Steelers’ Joey Porter Trade