Veteran offensive guard Greg Van Roten is set to return for another NFL season at 35 years old. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Van Roten has reached an agreement to stay with the Giants for another year. This is somewhat unexpected, as the Giants signed Van Roten during training camp last year. Due to Evan Neal’s delayed return, the team decided to start Van Roten next to former Raiders teammate Jermaine Eluemunor. With the Giants’ right side of the line performing similarly to Las Vegas’, New York may plan to keep that alignment for the upcoming season.
Van Roten played for $2 million last season and quickly became the starting right guard. Pro Football Focus ranked him as an average guard, which was the best outcome the Giants could have hoped for under the circumstances, placing him 42nd for 2024. While the team no longer relied on Neal, Van Roten made 17 starts for the second consecutive season. He will enter 2025 as one of the oldest linemen in the NFL.
After moving between backup and starting roles, Van Roten has experienced a notable resurgence in his mid-30s. After being a part-time starter for the Jets in 2021 and a backup for the Bills in 2022, he earned starting roles with both the Raiders and the Giants mid-season. The former undrafted free agent from Penn has made 88 career starts.
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Van Roten’s return means the Giants have all five of their starting offensive linemen under contract for 2024. While the line wasn’t particularly strong, especially without Andrew Thomas, continuity on the offensive line is generally beneficial for teams.
Although Kevin Zeitler has had a more successful career, Van Roten has matched him in terms of longevity. Just hours after Zeitler, a durable guard, landed a new job with the Titans, Van Roten is also set to play his 14th season. The Giants have focused their free agency spending on defense, adding Paulson Adebo, Jevon Holland, and Chauncey Golston. While they are aiming to sign Aaron Rodgers as a temporary quarterback, that is still uncertain. Van Roten will likely be blocking for Rodgers or another temporary QB in 2025, as the Giants are also strongly in the running to draft a quarterback at No. 3 overall or via a trade-up.
