Jason Pierre-Paul Open to Giants Reunion, Says It Would Be 'Dope' to Sign Contract

Veteran defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul says he would welcome a reunion with the New York Giants after not playing in the NFL last season.

"I think that'll be dope. Tremendous," Pierre-Paul told ESPN's Jordan Raanan about potentially returning to the Giants.

"To go back somewhere where my career started ... the fans know me and know the type of player that I am," Pierre-Paul continued. "I'll always be that type of player and just give 'em everything I got, which I know it'll be more than enough."

Pierre-Paul, who was selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2010 draft, spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the franchise. He totaled 58.5 sacks while earning two Pro Bowl nods and one All-Pro nomination over that span.

He lost two fingers and part of his thumb in a fireworks accident ahead of the 2015 season, but played three more seasons with the Giants before he was traded during the 2018 offseason.

Pierre-Paul went on to compete in five more NFL seasons, playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens before splitting his 2023 campaign between the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins.

Although Pierre-Paul said on social media last August that he still intended to end up on an NFL roster, the veteran defender went unsigned for the 2024 season.

Despite his absence from the league, Pierre-Paul told TMZ Sports in May that he wants to be back in the NFL in 2025.

"I've got abs. I haven't had abs since my rookie year. So that's how hard of work I'm putting in," Pierre-Paul told TMZ.

Pierre-Paul added: "Anybody that gives me the opportunity, I'm ready to go and I'm ready to rock right now."

Raanan added that Pierre-Paul, who currently has 94.5 career sacks, cares about bringing that number to 100 before officially wrapping up his playing career.

In addition to touting Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Giants will also need to find plenty of playing time for Abdul Carter after selecting him with the No. 3 pick of the 2025 NFL draft.

As defensive coordinator Shane Bowen told reporters in June, the Giants see that as having "three guys for two spots" on the pass rush.

With such a crowded field for reps, Pierre-Paul would likely be looking at limited playing time if the 36-year-old does ultimately sign a contract with his former team.

The Giants currently rank 31st in the NFL in salary cap space with a projected $3.9 million available heading into 2025, per Spotrac. Should Pierre-Paul sign another NFL deal, it would likely be for the veteran minimum of around $1.26 million.