Giants make Haener and Martin additions during Preseason Week 2 roster shuffle

The New York Giants’ preseason roster picture shifted on Monday with two additions and a corresponding departure highlighted in the team’s Preseason Week 2 tracker. At 4:30 p.m., the Giants announced they signed quarterback Jake Haener and linebacker Chandler Martin, part of the ongoing churn that teams use to evaluate depth and readiness as the 2026 preseason progresses.

Haener’s signing adds another quarterback option to the Giants’ preseason mix. In the preseason context, moves like this typically aim to test timing, decision-making, and command of the offense against live looks, especially as coaches sort through the depth chart and decide which skill sets translate best to the regular-season roles that are still taking shape.

The other addition, Martin at linebacker, reflects the same evaluation logic on the defensive side. Preseason Week 2 is often a critical window for linebackers and defensive depth players to show they can win specific assignment battles, adjust quickly to protection and formation changes, and communicate effectively within the scheme while working with the rotation of personnel.

In a corresponding move, the Giants waived/injured running back Dante Miller. That pairing of signings and a waiver-related transaction matters because it ties the roster decisions together, keeping the team’s overall player count balanced while accounting for health and availability. The designation also indicates that Miller’s status is not being treated as a straightforward release, but rather through the waiver process linked to injury status, as teams do during the preseason.

The Giants’ tracker format also underscores how quickly roster management can evolve during preseason week-to-week. While the NFL regular season is still ahead, these transactions can influence which players get additional reps in subsequent practices and preseason games, and they can also affect how coaches prioritize remaining roster spots at key positions.

What to watch next is whether Haener and Martin see continued opportunities beyond this initial signing, particularly in preseason practice reps and game-action rotations. For Miller, the waiver-related move raises the question of whether he can return within a timeframe that makes him a factor for the Giants’ running back depth, or whether the team’s depth plans will shift further in his absence.