Report: Giants’ Braxton Berrios set for release as team plans return for September

The New York Giants’ wide receiver room may be changing in the near term, but the plan appears to have a familiar target. Yahoo Sports reports, citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that Braxton Berrios is expected to be released as part of the team’s move to get to its initial 53-man roster. The same report adds that the Giants intend to bring him back later in September, suggesting the decision is aimed at roster compliance rather than ending his involvement with the club.

Roster cuts this time of year are often treated as both an administrative requirement and a chess move. Teams frequently work around the roster rules by using waivers, practice-squad procedures, or timing around game week in ways that can keep certain veterans in organizational reach. While the report does not specify the exact mechanism the Giants would use to rejoin Berrios to the team, it does outline the underlying intention: he would not be part of the initial 53-man group, but the organization expects him to return for the start of the regular season.

For Berrios, the immediate impact is obvious even if the long-term outcome is reportedly different. If he is released Sunday, he would be subject to waiver procedures and could be claimed by another team. The Giants’ reported plan to bring him back implies they believe they can retain his rights or that they expect to re-sign him once roster timing allows. The uncertainty is part of why the wording matters. Until the transaction fully plays out and a subsequent roster move is confirmed, the situation remains fluid and dependent on league processes.

The broader football context is that the Giants’ first-round roster is a report of how they want to balance their offense at kickoff. A veteran wide receiver can play multiple roles in a modern NFL offense, including as a high-availability target in the passing game and as a reliable option in specific packages. Even when a player is not on the active roster at the start, teams may prefer to keep him in the fold if they believe he fits the route-running needs of the offense or provides steadiness for quarterback timing, particularly early in the year.

The reported sequence also frames a short-term timeline. Yahoo Sports characterizes the decision as being made before the team’s first game in September, which implies the Giants do not intend for the separation to be extended. If the plan holds, the first week becomes a key checkpoint, because the Giants will want the receiver depth they envisioned when they set their early-season roster structure.

What to watch next is straightforward: whether the release occurs as described, whether Berrios clears waivers, and what the Giants do in the days leading up to their first regular-season game. If New York is able to restore him to the roster as reported, it would reinforce the idea that the cut was a roster-timing maneuver rather than a judgment on his fit. If he is claimed, the Giants’ alternatives could widen quickly and force an adjustment to the receiver group they plan to use right away.