Evan Neal Released by Giants

The New York Giants released offensive lineman Evan Neal on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. Art Stapleton of northjersey.com reported the cut, Adam Schefter amplified it, and Pro Football Talk published the story at 6:06 p.m. ET (3:06 p.m. PT). Giants.com's initial 53-man roster announcement listed Neal among terminated vested veterans, grouped with Brandon Allen, Braxton Berrios, Lucas Patrick, and others.

Neal was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Alabama. Field Level Media recapped the ledger: 29 games, 27 starts, all at right tackle. He did not play a snap in 2025 after a hamstring injury put him on IR in November. New York re-signed him in March 2026 on a one-year deal after he hit unrestricted free agency. Four months later, he is unemployed.

Why did the Giants cut Evan Neal?

He had not played since 2024. PFT listed him as a co-second-team right guard with Aaron Stinnie on the depth chart that went into cutdown weekend. That is not a starter's line. A former top-10 tackle who lost 2025 to a hamstring, then lost the interior swing job in August, is the exact profile clubs cut on deadline day. One PFT line called him a 2024 draft pick. That is an error. He was selected in 2022.

The same Giants cutdown kept Odell Beckham Jr. on the 53, a separate CBS item from earlier Sunday. Do not mash those stories together. Beckham making the roster is one search. Evan Neal released is another. This one is about a 2022 cornerstone who never stuck at tackle and could not hold a guard spot in year five.

What's next for Evan Neal?

He is a vested veteran, so this is a termination, not a waiver claim. Other teams can sign him. The tape is 27 starts at right tackle and a lost 2025. The market for that is backup tackle or a camp invite, not a starting job in Week 1. Search Evan Neal Giants or Neal released and the official list is already up on Giants.com.

New York's Sunday was part of a wider offensive-line shuffle that also included Miami adding Kyle McCord this weekend and Dallas bringing back Aaron Donald on the other side of the ball. Neal is the Giants' expensive miss, closed out on paper. The next contract, if there is one, will not look like a No. 7 overall deal.

Evan Neal Giants FAQ

Did the Giants release Evan Neal? Yes. Stapleton, Schefter, and PFT reported it Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, and Giants.com listed him among terminated vested veterans on the initial 53 announcement.

What pick was Evan Neal in the NFL Draft? No. 7 overall in 2022, per Field Level Media. He started 27 of 29 games, all at right tackle, and played no snaps in 2025 after a November hamstring IR.

Was Odell Beckham Jr. also cut? No. CBS reported OBJ made the Giants' 53. That is a different story from Neal's release.