The New York Giants may soon be at a crossroads with embattled offensive lineman Evan Neal.

The former first-round pick and one of general manager Joe Schoen’s first draft selections is entering the final year of his rookie contract after the team declined his fifth-year option for the 2026 campaign.

With three seasons of work that have featured injuries and inconsistent play at the right tackle position, the Giants are finally ready to see what Neal can do on the inside.

But as training camp quickly approaches, plenty of eyes will be on Neal’s development and the contract implications that come with it, says The Athletic’s Charlotte Carroll.

The Giants declined to pick up Neal’s fifth-year option this spring, setting up the former No. 7 pick for a crucial 2025 season. Especially as he transitions from right tackle to guard after a disappointing start to his Giants tenure due to injuries and poor play. Neal earned plenty of starting reps this spring as the Giants managed their starters’ workloads. Now, Neal’s most likely path to a starting spot would be beating out the 35-year-old Greg Van Roten for the role of right guard. How the position switch goes will determine Neal’s future in New York.

With veteran Jermaine Eluemunor locked into the right tackle spot for another season — the final year of his contract also — the Giants have some major question marks at the right guard spot.

The main competition for Neal will come from another veteran in Greg Van Roten, who was re-signed during free agency this offseason. The Giants also used a fifth-round pick on Purdue’s Marcus Mbow, who was largely viewed as a value selection following the draft.

Neal is not only fighting for a role within Brian Daboll’s offense, but he’s also fighting to keep his career alive in hopes of having any chance of landing a new contract following the 2025 season.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants’ Evan Neal named a ‘player contract worth watching’ in 2025