Giants Sign WR Jason Brownlee to Practice Squad After Workout
Updated: 7 minutes ago
Published Oct 20, 2026, 8:06 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi
Key points
The Giants signed wide receiver Jason Brownlee to the practice squad Tuesday, ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported.
Brownlee has five catches for 56 yards and one touchdown in 13 NFL games with the Jets and Chiefs.
He played in Kansas City under Matt Nagy, now the Giants' offensive coordinator.
Jason Brownlee is the newest receiver on the Giants' practice squad. New York signed the 27-year-old wideout Tuesday, ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported. The move closed a day that reshaped both the running back room and the edge rotation.
The report, shared by Big Blue Film Room on X, noted that Brownlee "has spent time with the Jets and Chiefs." The Giants confirmed the signing in their list of Tuesday's roster moves.
The same release announced three other moves. The Giants released running back Najee Harris and outside linebacker Jihad Ward. They also signed Trace Ford to the 53-man roster, as we covered in Giants Sign Trace Ford to 53-Man Roster After Jihad Ward's Release.
Why the Giants Brought In Jason Brownlee
Brownlee earned the spot in a tryout. The Giants worked out receivers Brownlee, Brady Boyd and Nick Nash on Tuesday, reporter Art Stapleton wrote on X, before signing Brownlee.
Stapleton also pointed to the connection that likely helped. Brownlee "was also with Giants OC Matt Nagy in Kansas City," he wrote.
Nagy was the Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2023 through 2025, according to the Giants' announcement of John Harbaugh's 2026 staff. Brownlee played six games for the Chiefs last season, Nagy's final year in Kansas City.
A receiver who has already run Nagy's concepts needs less installation time. That matters on a practice squad. The job is to give the starters a realistic look each week and be ready if the Giants need a body on game day.
By the Numbers: Jason Brownlee's NFL and College Production
Season (team) | Games | Catches / Yards / TD |
2023 (Jets) | 7 (5 starts) | 5 / 56 / 1 |
2025 (Chiefs) | 6 | 0 / 0 / 0 |
NFL career (Jets, Chiefs) | 13 | 5 / 56 / 1 |
2020-22 (Southern Miss) | 35 | 135 / 2,144 / 21 |
Sources: Pro Football Reference (NFL totals) and Sports Reference (college totals).
Jason Brownlee's Path From Southern Miss to the Giants
Brownlee signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss in May 2023. He made the 53-man roster as a rookie and appeared in seven games, according to the Jets.
The 2024 summer showed life at the bottom of a roster. Brownlee caught five passes for 47 yards and the Jets' only receiving touchdown of the preseason. He made the initial 53, then was released for a waiver claim and re-signed to the practice squad.
The Chiefs waived him at final cuts on Aug. 30, 2026, per the team's roster-move announcement. He spent the first six weeks of the season unsigned.
The caveat is the production. Brownlee had one target and no catches in Kansas City last season, per Pro Football Reference. His college résumé is stronger, with 21 touchdowns across three seasons at Southern Miss.
What Comes Next for Jason Brownlee and the Giants
Brownlee joins a practice squad that already holds receivers Dalen Cambre, Dontae Fleming and Jalin Hyatt, according to the Giants' roster page. Giants.com lists him at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds.
Trace Ford is being signed to the Giants active roster, per Dan Duggan. The team released OLB Jihad Ward earlier today, opening up a spot for Ford. … — Big Blue Film Room (@BigBlueFilmRoom) on X, October 20, 2026
Like Ford before him, Brownlee can be elevated to the active roster for a game without a full signing. Ford used all three of his elevations before the Giants added him to the 53, a limit set by NFL rules.
Neither report said whether Brownlee will be elevated this week. The 3-2-1 Giants visit the 2-4 Houston Texans on Sunday in their final game before the bye.
Our Take: Why the Giants Added Jason Brownlee Now
A practice squad receiver rarely changes a season, so the useful question is why this one, and why now. The answer looks like familiarity and depth.
Brownlee played for Matt Nagy in Kansas City, which means he arrives knowing much of the Giants' terminology. That matters for a scout-team receiver and for a possible game-day call-up.
The depth chart is thin behind the top three. Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields and Darnell Mooney account for 105 of the receivers' 109 targets, per Pro Football Reference.
If an injury hits that trio, Brownlee is a quick, low-cost option who already knows the offense.
That's how I'd judge this move: as insurance, not a sign the Giants are unhappy with their top receivers.
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