Giants Trade G Joshua Ezeudu To Chiefs

This is the second time in the past week that the Giants have acquired draft capital for a backup guard. They previously sent Daniel Faalele to the Jaguars for a 2027 sixth-rounder on Aug. 19. The moves leave Aaron Stinnie, Evan Neal and Jake Kubas among the Giants’ backups to starting guards Jon Runyan Jr. and Francis Mauigoa.

The Giants likely hoped Ezeudu would develop into a starter when they spent a third-rounder on him in 2022, but it did not pan out that way for them. While seeing time at left guard and left tackle from 2022-24, Ezeudu made just 10 starts in 33 games.

Although the North Carolina product missed all of last season as a result of calf and toe injuries, the Giants re-signed him to a one-year, $1.3MM deal with $410,300 in guarantees. Trading Ezeudu will save them $1.17MM at the cost of $80K in dead money.

Ezeudu lined up at guard and tackle against the Dolphins last Saturday, but he had to leave with an undisclosed injury. Head coach John Harbaugh called Ezeudu “day-to-day” afterward (via Dan Duggan of The Athletic). Unless it’s a serious enough issue to scuttle the trade, he will now join the second team of his career.

The Chiefs have two-time Pro Bowler Trey Smith and Kingsley Suamataia in place as their starting guards. Ezeudu will vie for a spot in a group of reserves that also includes Mike Caliendo, Pete Nygra, C.J. Hanson and Hunter Nourzad.