New York Giants News and Rumors: Defensive Tackle Trade Priority, Tony Pollard, JJ McCarthy Compared to Favre
Published Oct 30, 2026, 10:42 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi
The trade deadline led Friday's Giants news, as Art Stapleton wrote on X that adding an interior defensive lineman should be the priority. Connor Hughes also named Tony Pollard as a running back to watch. Here is every story Big Blue Film Room published on Oct. 30, 2026, most important first.
Art Stapleton expects the Giants to look for an interior defensive lineman before a running back. "I expect priority will be add IDL if they can. That's the move. Stop the run," he wrote on X.
The run defense numbers support him. With Shelby Harris, DJ Reader or both on the field, opponents average 4.4 yards per carry, and that jumps to 5.2 when one or both are off, according to Giants On SI's Patricia Traina.
Two big names are already gone. The Colts sent DeForest Buckner to San Francisco for a 2027 fourth-round pick, Colts.com reported, and the Bears landed Jeffery Simmons for two first-round picks and a fourth, the Titans announced. Traina floated Zach Sieler and Dalvin Tomlinson as depth options, though those are her ideas, not reported talks.
Price is the catch. The Giants don't have their fourth- or fifth-round picks, and GM Joe Schoen said that "may rule some players out," per NFL.com. The deadline is Nov. 10, per Giants.com.
Connor Hughes said on WFAN's Evan and Tiki show to "keep an eye on" Titans running back Tony Pollard, as we shared on X. He added that he doesn't "think it's going to cost a grotesque amount" to acquire him.
That fits with Jordan Schultz, who reported that the Giants are looking for RB/DT help. Titans On SI's Lane Mills also listed the Giants among possible Pollard buyers, though that is analysis, not a report of talks.
Pollard has 478 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry and four touchdowns for Tennessee. His best game came last week, when he ran 25 times for 129 yards and three touchdowns against Cleveland.
He would not be replacing anyone. Cam Skattebo is the lead back after his 124-yard game at Houston, and the same pick shortage applies here, as Schoen said it "may rule some players out".
Former Giants quarterback David Carr reached for a Hall of Fame comparison. "Right now, we're looking at freaking Brett Favre out there. Minus the mistakes," Carr said on Home Grown, the podcast he hosts with his brother Derek, as we shared on X. "He's pushing it vertical, bro. He's not scared."
Carr was the No. 1 pick in 2002 and won Super Bowl XLVI as a Giants backup, per his career record. Derek Carr went further, saying the Giants could hold an open quarterback competition in camp if McCarthy keeps this up, Pro Football Network reported.
The "minus the mistakes" part holds so far. McCarthy is averaging 10.1 yards per attempt with one interception on 49 throws, per ESPN. Favre averaged 7.1 yards per attempt over 10,169 career attempts, based on his Pro Football Hall of Fame career totals.
It is still a small sample. McCarthy's next chance to add to it comes Nov. 8 at Philadelphia.
Mike Francesa is pumping the brakes. "I think people are getting way ahead of themselves with McCarthy," he said on The Mike Francesa Podcast, adding that McCarthy "never played this well" last season.
The full-season numbers back that up. The Giants acquired McCarthy for a 2027 fifth-round pick after he went 6-4 as a Vikings starter in 2025 with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, per Giants.com. He posted a 72.6 passer rating and 6.7 yards per attempt that year.
He did finish strong. McCarthy won his last four starts with five touchdowns and two interceptions, per ESPN's game log.
With the Giants, he went 11 of 21 for 243 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the loss to the Saints, per ESPN, then won his first start in the 27-21 overtime game at Houston.
Brian Burns says Abdul Carter is showing nothing new. "He ain't do nothing I ain't never seen before," Burns said on NFL on ESPN. "I done seen this time and time again in practice. It's just coming. Y'all just now seeing it."
Burns tore his ACL late in the Week 3 win over Tennessee, per Giants.com, and also tore his lateral meniscus, The Athletic reported.
Carter has filled the role. He played 64 of 66 snaps against Arizona in the first game without Burns, The Athletic's Dan Duggan wrote. He had a sack and a forced fumble the next week at Washington, per ESPN's game log, then posted six pressures and a 90.9 PFF grade in the overtime win at Houston.
The sacks are the one gap. Carter has two in seven games, per ESPN, which is the "it's just coming" part of Burns' quote.
Connor Hughes asked nine NFL teams about the Giants, and "none of those teams that I talked to around the league thought the Giants were a real threat," he said on WFAN's Evan and Tiki show. Four of those teams still believe the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC East, as we shared on X.
The standings say otherwise. The Giants are 4-2-1 and in first place, per Giants.com, and they beat Dallas 28-20 in Week 1, per ESPN.
The doubters do have one number. Dallas has outscored opponents by nine points, while New York is plus-two, per ESPN's standings. Hughes did not name the teams he spoke with.
The next test is Nov. 8 at Philadelphia, two days before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
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