New York Giants release veteran CB Jalen Mills

This week, the New York Giants have opted to release veteran cornerback Jalen Mills. Mills began training camp on the NFI list and was unable to practice. Though Mills had a calf strain that kept him out of practice, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter, he is healthy once again and ready to play. Now healthy and free from his contract with the Giants, the former LSU standout is available to sign with a new team at any time in free agency.

In March, Mills signed a new one-year deal with the Giants for $1.37 million. He was coming off of a season with the New England Patriots during which he posted 45 tackles, including four for loss, in 17 games played.

Prior to the 2023 season, Mills spent two seasons with the Patriots and five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Though he played just 10 games for the Patriots in 2022, they still opted to re-sign him for 2023 on another one-year deal. He was a seventh-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Mills was a key defensive cog of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII run and won the lone championship of his career with the team prior to his departure. Before entering the NFL, he was a First-Team All-American at LSU in 2015.

In the first eight seasons of his career, Mills has tallied 405 tackles in 106 games played in the regular season. He also has an additional 17 post-season tackles. Though he didn’t snag one last season, Mills has seven career interceptions and two forced fumbles with one recovery.

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year began at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially ran out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams had a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams could enter into a legal negotiation with players who will become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marked the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marked the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hit.