The New York Giants have signed 18 players to reserve/futures deals since their season ended in early January, and they’ve given those players a wide variety of signing bonuses.
At the very bottom of that pile is quarterback/wide receiver Joe Webb, who received just $500 at the time of signing. At the other end of that spectrum is long snapper Carson Tinker, who landed an $8,500 signing bonus.
The Giants have handed out nominal signing bonuses to most of the players they've inked to futures contracts since the end of the season. The biggest: $8,500 to long snapper Carson Tinker. The smallest: $500 to QB/WR Joe Webb.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) January 17, 2021
With Casey Kreiter an impending unrestricted free agent, it would make sense for the Giants to ensure Tinker remains around until at least training camp. If Kreiter is re-signed and reassumes his starting role, Tinker could be released or find himself back on the practice squad, where he spent the 2020 regular season.
Ultimately, giving Tinker the largest reserve/futures signing bonus is more about ensuring his availability next season in case the Giants need it.
Reserve/futures contracts guarantee that a player can not jump ship and sign with another team. Although not technically under contract until the new league year begins, their rights belong to the signing team and their salary will impact the following season’s cap.
