Micah McFadden named New York Giants’ most underpaid player

New York Giants linebacker Micah McFadden took a significant leap in his development in 2023, putting up career-best numbers alongside veteran Bobby Okereke.

The 24-year-old appeared in 16 games (14 starts), recording 101 tackles (63 solo, 12 for a loss), four fumble recoveries, six QB hits, one sack, five passes defensed and one interception.

Because McFadden was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft, he remains on a rookie salary and made just $870,000 with a prorated signing bonus of $88,926 last year.

McFadden won’t become that much more expensive over the duration of his contract which is why Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently named him the Giants’ most underpaid player.

The 2022 fifth-round pick broke out with 101 tackles as a sophomore and will cost the Giants just $2.3 million over the course of the next two seasons.

And that’s the nature of rookie contracts. If a player — especially a mid-round player — becomes a productive starter, the team ultimately has to pay less until an extension comes due.

McFadden will need at least one more impactful season before those conversations begin. In the meantime, the Giants and general manager Joe Schoen reap the rewards of finding him on Day 3.