Jalen Mills was placed on the non-football injury list in July, preventing him from participating in the Giants’ training camp. The veteran defensive back is no longer in the team’s plans, but he could find a deal before the regular season.
Mills is being released from the NFI list, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He adds that the 30-year-old has now recovered from the calf strain he was dealing with, and as a result, he could draw attention as a free agent. Once his release becomes official, Mills will be eligible to sign with an interested team (rather than having to clear waivers).
Beginning his career as a corner with the Eagles, the former seventh-rounder has also seen time at safety. Mills spent the past three seasons with New England, serving as a regular on defense. He saw his playing time drop considerably from 2021 to ’22 and again last year. Mills quickly agreed to terms on a one-year Giants pact aimed at helping to fill the void created by Xavier McKinney‘s departure.
That contract only contained $468K in guarantees, so releasing Mills will not have significant financial implications for the Giants. The team will focus on finding a safety partner for Jason Pinnock in the starting lineup, an ongoing competition between Dane Belton and second-round rookie Tyler Nubin. Belton appears to have the inside track on a first-team gig, although plenty can change over the coming weeks.
Mills is a veteran of 106 games and 83 starts. He logged a 90% defensive snap share as recently as 2021, so he could be counted on to at least handle a rotational role in the secondary upon finding a new team. It will be interesting to see if his market takes shape immediately or if he must wait for roster cutdowns at the end of the month to determine his next move.
