The New York Giants are headed for the season’s last game against the Dallas Cowboys—a team that refused to tank the season regardless of their standing. From the outside, Big Blue is also following that philosophy. Yet their injury report seems suspicious. Tight end Theo Johnson, whom they claimed as the Potential Breakout Player of 2025, has been listed with an illness. But that’s not the impression he gave at a recent Knicks game. 

Johnson missed Week 17 and hasn’t returned to practice yet. The Injury Report claims he has an illness; however, his 4-word Instagram story loudly said, 

“I am not sick.”

The second-year TE reposted Bleacher Report’s Instagram post of himself enjoying the Knicks game against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Theo Johnson’s appearance at the game quickly went viral due to the timing, as it happened just a few hours after the Giants declared him out for Week 18. All signs point to one conclusion: Big Blue might be tanking.

Currently, the Raiders, with a 2-14 record, are positioned to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It would have been the Giants had they not won Week 17 against Las Vegas (who are also tanking the season). Now, they are slotted for the No. 2 pick, but the hope of acquiring the first pick isn’t lost just yet. If they succeed in losing Week 18 against Dallas, which already has a high probability, and the Raiders win against the Chiefs, the No. 1 pick will belong to the G-Men. 

Even if they don’t get the No. 1 pick, they are still gunning for the second pick based on their quarterback situation. Philip Rivers is not a long-term solution. The Giants cannot lose the No. 2 pick to the Jets or the Cardinals, for that matter. Plus, they can also leverage it for a good trade negotiation since the Class of 2026 doesn’t have many potential star quarterbacks, except for two.

In a league where injury-report accuracy has already triggered fines this season, the sequence inevitably fueled speculation that the designation served roster strategy more than medical reality. Dirty tactics or a genuine oversight? The team seems to have a different explanation altogether.

The Giants aren’t ready to admit to the accusation of tanking. They clarified that Theo Johnson’s illness is an infection, “not the flu or COVID,” which would’ve implied that he can’t be around other people, via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. 

Putting Johnson on the spot, Garafolo stated that the 24-year-old should have used “not contagious” instead of “not sick” in his story. Perhaps more than the “tanking” accusations, the Giants don’t want to pay a fine. 

Giants at risk of another heavy penalty 

Considering the ethical side of gridiron, the NFL has strict rules against manipulating the injury reports. If any team is found guilty of incorrectly listing a player with an injury, they are imposed with a severe fine, loss of draft picks, or even suspension. The Baltimore Ravens faced such consequences earlier this season and paid a massive fine of $100,000. 

It’s the tale of Week 8, when quarterback Lamar Jackson was listed as a full participant in Friday’s practice session but remained “questionable” to play the game against the Bears. Shortly afterwards, his status for Friday’s practice was changed to “limited” before he was declared OUT of Week 8’s game. After the NFL’s investigation, Baltimore had to take ownership of the error and pay the fine amount. 

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Now, Johnson is suggesting similar manipulation by his team with his social media post. The Giants have already paid a fine of $200,000 in October for violating the concussion protocol during Week 6’s game against the Eagles. As of now, the league has yet to smell anything suspicious and may not proceed with an investigation after the Giants’ explanation.