For the better part of a decade, watching the New York Giants‘ offensive line has been a form of cruel and unusual punishment for the fanbase.
However, amidst a 2025 season that had its fair share of ups and downs, a strange phenomenon occurred: the pass protection actually held up.
A massive reason for that stability was right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who turned a modest two-year contract into a showcase of elite consistency. Whether Joe Schoen is still the general manager next spring or a new regime takes the reins, the first order of business must be keeping this tackle tandem intact.
We are so used to the turnstile approach on the right side that we almost took Eluemunor’s production for granted. Over 829 snaps this season, the veteran allowed just 17 pressures and four sacks, anchoring a unit that surprisingly ranked in the top 10 for pass protection league-wide. When you finally find a player who isn’t a liability, you don’t let him walk out the door just to save a few dollars against the cap.
Jermaine Eluemunor Is Betting on Himself
Eluemunor will turn 31 next season, an age where linemen usually start to see their value dip, but his play suggests he is just hitting his prime. He knows it, too, telling ESPN’s Jordan Raanan recently, “I feel like I’m one of the best right tackles right now and will be for the rest of my career. So yeah, I don’t know what my range is. Like I said, I feel like I’m one of the best players at my position. So whatever that means.” That level of confidence is backed up by the tape, where he posted some truly elite pass-blocking games against premier edge rushers.
If he views himself as one of the best, the price tag is going to reflect that reality, likely pushing into the range of two years and $45 million. While that sounds steep for a right tackle entering his thirties, the market for competent linemen is exploding, and the cost of replacing him with a draft pick or a lesser free agent is far higher in terms of risk. The Giants have spent years trying to fix this specific position; paying a premium to keep it fixed is simply smart business.
Protecting the Franchise Is Not Optional
The context of this decision shifts dramatically when you consider who is standing in the pocket. With Jaxson Dart firmly holding the reins, the priority for the next three years at least is keeping the young quarterback upright and confident. Nothing ruins a rookie signal-caller faster than immediate interior pressure or a blindside collapse, and Eluemunor has proven he can keep the pocket clean.
Disrupting the flow of the offensive line now would be a catastrophic error for a team trying to develop a franchise quarterback. We have seen what happens when the Giants try to get cute with bargain-bin linemen, and the result is usually a quarterback running for his life. Eluemunor offers a proven insurance policy for Dart’s development, ensuring that the offense can actually function rather than just survive.
Looking Ahead: A Check That Must Be Written
The Giants have some difficult decisions to make regarding their salary cap, especially with other free agents like Wan’Dale Robinson needing extensions, but the trenches should never be the place to cut corners. Eluemunor has embraced the pressure of the New York market and delivered a career-best campaign when the team needed it most. He has earned the right to reset the market for right tackles, and frankly, the Giants shouldn’t hesitate to hand him the pen.
In a league where offensive line play is deteriorating globally, having a sure thing at right tackle is a luxury that teams kill for. The Giants have that luxury in the building right now. Letting Eluemunor walk would be a step backward into the dark ages of the offensive line, and nobody in East Rutherford has the stomach for that history to repeat itself.