At the conclusion of last season, New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams expressed a willingness to take a pay cut. It was a remark that caught the attention of general manager Joe Schoen, who jokingly thanked reporters for getting those words out of The Big Cat.
However, none of that materialized this offseason.
The Giants didn’t request that Williams take a pay cut and they didn’t approach him about a restructure. They have also shown “no interest” in extending his contract, reports Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
That could change, but it seems unlikely.
Williams’ cap hit, which is the third highest in the league at any position this year, has stuck out like a sore thumb all offseason. The Giants have shown no interest in an extension or a restructure, which would push more dead money onto next year’s cap.
General manager Joe Schoen explained in March that the Giants didn’t have any leverage to request a pay cut, but that could change closer to the season. Williams is due to earn an $18 million salary this season. If the Giants asked for, say, a $5 million pay cut in Week 1, it’s unlikely Williams would find another team at that stage willing and able to pay him more than $13 million for this season. But there’s a fine line between being shrewd and being ruthless. Squeezing a respected veteran for a few million dollars that late in the offseason could create bad vibes in the locker room.
The Giants will need to create some additional cap space in order to function this season but it seems unlikely to come by way of Williams. Or cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, for that matter. Both players are in the final year of their respective deals.
Williams will earn a base salary of $18 million in 2023 and account for a cap hit of $32.26 million, the third-largest in the league.
