Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Dan Benton

Giants gave Leonard Williams option to veto Seahawks trade

When the New York Giants traded defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a pair of draft picks, it came as a surprise to many.

The trade of Williams himself wasn’t the shocker, it was the return: a 2024 second-round draft choice and a 2025 fifth-round choice.

An offer for Giants fans

For the best local North Jersey news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to NorthJersey.com.

It was a deal too good to pass up for general manager Joe Schoen, but he would have if Williams wanted to remain in East Rutherford.

Brandon Parker, Williams’ agent, told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post that the Giants gave Williams a veto option.

“Normally I certainly wouldn’t speak on the record about a team, because that’s a mutual respect thing,” Parker said. “Because I was so blown away, in a good way, how the Giants handled this situation, I actually want there to be good things said about this front office.”

Williams had previously praised the Giants for how they handled the trade, but he left out the part about how Schoen gave him veto power.

“It was a hard decision for Leonard,” Parker added. “It wasn’t, ‘I want to get out of here,’ and they certainly weren’t like, ‘We want to ship you out.’ It was more like, this would probably be best for both sides.

“There weren’t any tears shed, but there were close to some tears shed from people in that front office when they went to say goodbye to Leonard. That was real.”

With Seattle, Williams has a chance to chase the playoffs and potentially a Super Bowl before becoming a free agent next season. The Giants, meanwhile, were able to add to their draft capital as they continue their attempt to rebuild a declining franchise.

Follow the Giants Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts   Spotify   Google Podcasts

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.