Giants Just Placed an Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender on OLB Markus Golden

Markus Golden with the New York Giants in 2019. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

New York Giants aren’t ready to spend big on outside linebacker Markus Golden, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want to keep him around. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Giants elected to place a rarely-used unrestricted free-agent tender on the 29-year-old.

The unrestricted free-agent tender allows Golden to freely negotiate with other teams. However, if he fails to secure a deal until the training camp starts on July 22nd, the veteran pass-rusher would then be eligible to play only for Giants in 2020.

Markus Golden signed a one-year deal with Giants in 2019, trying to bounce back after a couple of disappointing seasons with Arizona Cardinals. He not only accomplished that but was also the team’s best defensive player with 10.0 sacks and career-high 72 tackles and 27 QB hits.

This, however, wasn’t enough to encourage Giants to make him a compelling offer. The team now hopes the creativity will get them one more year of Golden on a cheap deal, but this scenario remains unlikely. 

Thanks to a productive year, Golden became a highly-sought after free agent and one of the best available on the alongside defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Plenty of teams still need pass rushers, so you can bet that he’ll get signed sooner than later.

Gunner's favorite movies are Pulp Fiction, Iron Man (just the first one), and every James Bond film ever made. He's learning TV and cinema and hoping to always enjoy movies as he does now.