Giants To Sign LB Malik Harrison

Harrison joined the Steelers on a two-year deal during free agency last year. Halfway through that pact, though, he was cut. As a vested veteran, Harrison was not subject to waivers. He has been a free agent since Sunday, and a new gig has been lined up in short order.

The Giants are signing Harrison, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. This is a practice squad deal, although Fowler notes contributions “early” in the season are the goal in this case. Harrison, 28, is a veteran of 95 games and 48 starts between the regular and postseason. He will look to earn a spot on the Giants’ active roster or at least a gameday elevation in time for Week 1.

This deal will allow for a reunion between Harrison and head coach John Harbaugh after the two worked together in Baltimore from 2020-24. During that time, Harrison primarily contributed on special teams but he also logged 372 defensive snaps on defense during his final Ravens campaign. Upon arrival in Pittsburgh, the former third-rounder saw a career-high 40% defensive snap share while playing 11 games.

The Steelers’ plans at linebacker left Harrison on the roster bubble, however, making their recent decision to cut him an unsurprising one. Similarly, it certainly does not come as a shock that the Ohio State product is reuniting with Harbaugh, whose new team has added several former Ravens this offseason. PFR’s Nikhil Mehta pointed to a Giants-Harrison deal being something to watch for in the aftermath of the release.

Harrison landed over $4MM in guarantees on his Steelers pact last spring. A much less lucrative deal is no doubt in store with his third career team, but a regular role could emerge relatively soon in this case.