The New York Giants kicked off Week 13 with a roster move on November 24, and team reporter Dan Salomone relayed the news on X.
“Giants Roster Moves 11/24,” he announced. “International Practice Squad Player Signing: TE Maximilian Mang. Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad: K Jude McAtamney.”
So, in a rare midseason international player swap, McAtamney is now out after two years of development inside the organization, and in his place comes a new flyer in Mang.
Standing at 6-foot-6, Mang is an undrafted rookie tight end who played college ball at Syracuse from 2020 through 2024.
Over that span of time, he suited up for 59 games, but only caught 9 of 13 targets for 60 yards and 1 touchdown.
Mang was with the Indianapolis Colts during the 2025 preseason period, and he appeared in two games this summer. He did not log any receptions during those two preseason outings.
Lastly, Mang is of German descent and qualifies for the lone allowed International Pathway Program roster exemption.
Giants Pull the Plug on the Jude McAtamney Experiment With Kicker Questions Looming in 2026
The handling of the kicker position has been an abject disaster under general manager Joe Schoen’s tenure with the Giants.
Schoen first handed an aging kicker $16.5 million (including $11.335 million in guarantees) in 2023, extending Graham Gano.
Gano has only appeared in 23 regular season games since signing that contract extension, and his combined field goal percentage over that stretch is a 76.3% conversion rate, according to Pro Football Reference.
Gano has made 100% of his extra points since inking the new deal, but that’s probably the only positive Schoen can take from that short-sighted mistake.
The Giants can save $4.5 million by moving on from Gano prior to 2026 free agency, and it’s a near certainty that they will do so. But after the failure of his understudy, McAtamney, who had been groomed to take over for the veteran for the better part of the past two years, where will Schoen and Big Blue turn from here?
Assuming Schoen is indeed back in 2026, the first man up for the role appears to be current NYG kicker Younghoe Koo. Like most kickers, Koo has been inconsistent throughout his eight-plus-year career, but he’s had some good seasons, including a Pro Bowl in 2020.
For what it’s worth, Koo has started his Giants career off on the right foot, converting all four of his initial field goal attempts. However, he has missed one extra point, going 7-for-8 in that regard.
If Koo can nail down the job over the back half of the season, perhaps the Giants will keep him around. If not, they’ll likely be shopping for a kicker in free agency or the draft.
Maxmilian Mang Joins Deep Tight End Room, Beating Out Veteran Tryout
GettyFormer Syracuse tight end Maximilian Mang in 2024.
As for the aforementioned Maximilian Mang, the rookie will join a promising tight end group in New York after beating out veteran MyCole Pruitt in a November 24 tryout.
Second-year draft pick Theo Johnson has been one of the more consistent playmakers for the NYG offense this year, while Daniel Bellinger has also reminded fans that he can still make an impact when healthy and called upon.
The Giants also drafted Thomas Fidone II in 2025 and signed 27-year-old Zach Davidson to the practice squad midseason.
The final member of the room is veteran blocking tight end Chris Manhertz, who re-signed with the franchise earlier this offseason. Manhertz will be a free agent once again in 2026, so we’ll see if the G-Men elect to bring him — and Bellinger — back next spring.
If they re-sign at least one of the two, that would give them a solid 2026 TE core, which would likely feature Johnson and Fidone taking another step in their development.
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