The Giants have to make a decision on Jonathan Stewart by the third day of the waiver period, which begins Feb. 4, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. They likely already have made one.
Stewart’s contract has a second-year option, which would pay him $2.35 million in base salary for 2019.
He had a $3.925 million cap hit in 2018, and the Giants got six carries for 17 yards in three games out of him before Stewart went on injured reserve with a foot injury.
Declining the option won’t leave the Giants with any dead money for 2019, and, in fact, they would recoup $250,000 in a cap credit, via Duggan.
So it seems clear the Giants will decline the option.
The Giants designated Stewart to return from injured reserve in November, but they never activated him to the active roster in the three weeks after that.