It’s been a tale of two seasons for New York Giants outside linebacker Tomon Fox’s young NFL career.
An undrafted free agent hailing from Tar Heels country, Fox signed with the Giants before training camp in 2022 and left a good enough impression to become the only undrafted free agent to make the 53-man roster. In his rookie season, he appeared in 16 games for New York’s defense and special teams units, totaling 24 tackles and a sack for the former and helping cover and protect for punts and kickoffs for the latter phase.
Fox made his impact felt early on by earning his first career sack in the Giants' Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans. He had his best game of the season in Week 8 against the Seattle Seahawks when he collected six tackles in 27 defensive snaps and only flailed on one. He also gave 185 strong snaps on special teams, with the bulk of his work coming on kickoff returns with just three missed tackles.
The following year, however, was a much different season for Fox, who barely saw the field.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 245 lbs
Exp.: 2 Years
College: North Carolina
How Acquired: UDFA-22
2023 in Review
Fox’s solid 2022 campaign may have earned him a chance to compete again for a spot on the 53-man roster last summer, but he surprisingly didn’t make it there until much later in the season.
At the end of camp in August, Fox was waived by the Giants and subsequently signed to the team’s practices squad. He remained there until his name was called up in Week 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles, a game that saw him play 19 defensive snaps and log just one tackle that would be his sole takedown of the year.
On the special teams front, Fox saw 12 snaps in the Philadelphia contest and contributed to a slew of kickoff and punt coverage plays.
He remained a fixture on the sidelines the remainder of the season as he was stuck behind talented depth at the outside linebacker position and signed a futures/reserve contract at the end of the 2023 season.
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Under the terms of Fox’s reserve/futures contract, the Giants will be paying the 26-year-old an overall value of $915,000 with no money guaranteed involved in the deal. The agreement ranks Fox at 235 among 269 active edge defenders in the NFL.
Since it is a one-year deal, if Fox is dismissed before the regular season, the Giants will not incur dead money charges. On the other hand, they would recoup the $915,000 in cap savings for a post-June 1 transaction.
It is likely the Giants make their decision regarding Fox before training camp is over so that they can allocate the funds towards moves like fortifying the practice squad.
2024 Preview
After a nearly nonexistent campaign last fall, Fox is back in the equation but it seems like he will have an even tougher climb to get anywhere close to the role he had during the 2022 season.
Some of the Giants' best defensive weapons currently reside in the outside linebacker position, including third-year stud Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is eager to chase the NFL’s single-season sack record after notching 11.5 last season, and fourth-year pro Azeez Ojulari who also figures to be in the mix for significant snaps if he remains healthy.
The Giants also traded with the Carolina Panthers to acquire two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Burns earlier in the offseason. Burns is expected to line on the other side of the defensive line with Thibodeaux and bring his packed resume and elite pass-rushing ability to the table as a starter.
If everyone is healthy, getting on the field will be very difficult for Fox. His best bet is to compete for a special teams spot like the one he held in 2022, which boosted his return the following year. However, he has competition in that area as well in guys like linebackers Matthew Adams and Carter Coughlin, who have the same experience contributing to special teams units.
Fox was the seventh-most deployed player by the Giants on specials teams during the 2022 season, an indication the team liked what they saw from him. But that was under previous special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey.
Will current coordinator Michael Ghobiral share an enthusiasm for putting Fox on the field? That could benefit him in a preseason competition and perhaps save him a spot on the 2024 roster for a third straight year, though again, Fox’s chances to make the roster right now are the longest of long shots.
