Giants Provide Injury Update on Long-Lost Summer Addition
You might not remember Rico Payton, but he is on the verge of helping the New York Giants‘ secondary get healthier.
The Giants opened Payton’s 21-day return window from injured reserve Wednesday so the second-year cornerback can make his way back from hamstring injury.
Payton was claimed off waivers in late August after he was released by the New Orleans Saints in their final cuts. An undrafted free agent, Payton had 11 tackles and one pass defended in 16 games for the Saints last year.
Payton, who will turn 26 on Nov. 28, played college football at Southern Illinois, where he transferred after starting his career at Division II Pittsburg State. The Giants must activate Payton in the next three games or place him on season-ending injured reserve.
New York (2-6) will host the first-place San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants Defensive Secondary Has Been Decimated By Injuries
Cor’Dale Flott and Paulson Adebo are likely to miss the 49ers game, since Flott sustained a concussion in the Giants’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and Adebo is week to week with a sprained MCL in his knee.
So healthy bodies are necessary, especially with backup cornerback and special teamer Art Green also dealing with a hamstring injury. The injuries forced the Giants to make a roster move, claiming Jarrick Bernard-Converse off waivers from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday.
Even with Adebo and Flott healthy, plus 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks playing extra reps, the Giants rank 24th in the NFL in pass defense. They have allowed 400-plus yards in total offense in four of their eight games this season.
Payton may not return in time to take on the 49ers, though the Giants could use him especially since they are the No. 2 ranked pass offense in the NFL — and New York still has a date with the Dallas Cowboys later this year, since they are the top-ranked passing offense.
Rico Payton Mostly Played Special Teams For The Saints
Giants fans may be chomping at the bit to see anyone except Banks playing corner, since he is ranked 107th out of 113 cornerbacks on Pro-Football Focus this season.
But the Giants don’t want just anyone playing cornerback for them, since even replacement-level players, like how Banks has played this season, can still play.
But the Giants have a few options still. Nickelbacks Dru Phillips and Nic Jones have been healthy and could play outside, plus Green is likely to jump into a starting-cornerback spot opposite Banks.
If Green or Banks get injured, or falter, Bernard-Converse earned a 63.4 grade from PFF this year, which means he can step in even if Flott and Adebo are out long term — which is possible, since Adebo is being called week to week.
But Payton only played 21 defensive snaps at cornerback in 2024, and he did not play a defensive snap over New Orleans’ final eight games.
Still, Payton could be a useful special-teams player when the Giants activate him from injured reserve. He played 57 percent of the Saints’ special-teams snaps in 2024, and the injuries have caused the Giants to pull players off specials to the defense.
Stephen Jones Sends Bold Message on Cowboys’ Trade Deadline Plans
The Dallas Cowboys are all in on the 2025 NFL season. But they’ll also consider moving players off their roster to address areas of need.
Stephen Jones, the Cowboys executive vice president and CEO, addressed why the Cowboys would be considered both buyers and sellers ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline on Tuesday.
The Cowboys (3-4-1) are in second place in the NFC East and sit 2.5 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Eagles. They’re just 1.5 games back of the San Francisco 49ers for the final NFC playoff spot.
Dallas will host the Arizona Cardinals (2-5) on Monday Night Football mere hours before the 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Stephen Jones: ‘Sometimes Player For Player [Trades] Can Be Very Interesting’
The Cowboys have one of the best offenses in the NFL. They rank first in the NFL in passing-yards per game (263.8), second in yards per game (384.1) and points per game (30.8).
Yet, Dallas is middling due to its woeful defense. The Cowboys are 31st in the NFL in yards-against per game (404.6) and points-against per game (31.3) and have allowed at least 30 points in five of their eight games this season.
So Jones knows the Cowboys can use their strength on offense to potentially acquire defensive reinforcements.
“I think there’s a lot of things that go into us improving as a defense,” Jones told KTFM on Thursday. “If you can find a player that upgrades you, as I’ve always said, we’re always looking for that every year. Whether it’s by trade or whether it’s a player acquisition, it comes by a lot of shapes, forms and fashions.”
Cowboys fans may be incensed at the team’s scuffling defense, since the blockbuster Micah Parsons trade sapped the team of one of its most talented players. Still, according to Jones, there are deals to be made to improve.
“We have areas where we have depth, and sometimes player-for-player [trades] can be very interesting to us,” Jones said. “We’re also in consideration for giving up a player for us getting a pick and vice versa. It goes all ways.”
The Dallas Cowboys’ Game Against Arizona Is ‘A Big, Big Game’
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has never lost at AT&T Stadium, and Arizona has won three straight against Dallas dating back to 2020.
“What an amazing high-school career he had,” Jones said of Murray, who won three straight state championships while playing at Allen High School and also having a standout baseball career as well. “He’s just a competitor and a winner, and that’s our goal, to put that streak to an end. But I’m sure he’s going to have his competitive juices flowing coming back home to where all he won all those championships.”
Yet, the Cardinals have been struggling with five straight losses despite their minus-1 point differential. If the Cowboys have any illusions of making the playoffs in the much-improved NFC, Jones knows they’ll need to win at home — where they are 2-0-1 despite averaging 33 points per game.
“It’d be huge for us to get a win,” Jones said. “It’s a big, big game. I know it’s a big game for the Cardinals, but it’s a huge game for us as well.”
