The New York Giants and head coach John Harbaugh could very well end up with punishment from the NFL after what appears to be an attempt to circumvent the compensatory draft pick selection that comes with signing an unrestricted free agent.
In this case, the Giants may have leaked a story about having a deal in place for defensive tackle D.J. Reader, which detailed how they expect to sign him — but not until after the conclusion of the 2026 NFL draft.
Reader was a player the Baltimore Ravens brought in for a visit and seemed to be eager to sign as well, with the status of NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike still very much in doubt following a severe neck injury that cost him the final 15 games of the 2025 regular season.
“I wonder how the (NFL competition committee would look at this,” Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald wrote on his official X account. “Leaking that they have a deal and are looking to avoid comp consequences may be a mistake. Sometimes if the league feels a deal is agreed to before the cutoff date but the sides delay to game the system they will consider it a UFA signing.”
It wouldn’t be the 1st time a team led by Harbaugh has tried to circumvent the rules and ended up in trouble with the NFL.
Ravens Fined $100K Over Injury Report in 2025
Harbaugh was fired after 18 seasons with the Ravens following an 8-9 season in 2025 and missing the playoffs for the 1st time since 2021.
He was quickly scooped up by the Giants on what was reported to be a 5-year, $100 million contract.
If the Giants are truly found to have violated the rules of the competition committee, it would be the 2nd time in the last year a team coached by Harbaugh has played it loose and fast with NFL rules.
In 2025, the NFL fined the Ravens $100,000 after a weeklong investigation into how 2-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson was listed on the injury report before a Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears.
“The NFL has fined the Ravens $100,000 for violating the league’s Injury Report Policy by incorrectly listing quarterback Lamar Jackson’s practice participation status on Friday, October 24, the league confirmed today,” NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on October 31. ” … The Ravens fully cooperated with the investigation, which the league determined was the result of negligence and not an attempt to gain a competitive advantage. If the investigation had determined the violation was intentional or competitive in nature, the discipline would have been more significant, including the potential loss of draft picks.”
Reader Could Have Been Critical for Baltimore
Reader, 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds, could have been a critical addition for the Ravens — essentially the best backup plan money could buy at a projected market value of a 2-year, $7.3 million contract.
Reader signed a 2-year, $22 million contract with the Detroit Lions before the 2024 season and has approximately $78.9 million in career earnings in 10 NFL seasons, including 4 seasons going against the Ravens twice every season playing for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2020 to 2023.
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