NY Giants news: First player signed during John Harbaugh era already released

The New York Giants released veteran defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal over the weekend, a small bit of news that went unnoticed with the 2026 NFL Draft having been in progress.

Leal played 32 games over four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers before being released in January and quickly signing a reserve/futures contract with the Giants.

Leal will some day be an answer to the trivia question “who was the first free agent signed by the Giants during the John Harbaugh era?” He will not, however, actually get a chance to go to training camp and compete for a job with the team.

The Giants still have a need on their defensive line. The drafting of Bobby Jamison-Travis was a step in the right direction, but proven veteran help is still needed. There has been an expectation that the Giants would sign veteran nose tackle D.J. Reader, but that has not happened as of yet.