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New York Giants left tackle Nate Solder understandably opted out of the 2020 season on Wednesday, but that potentially creates an interesting and unexpected void for the team.
With Solder now done for the season, who becomes the Giants’ point person with the NFLPA Board of representatives?
That would appear to be defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
FYI — #Solder is the #Giants player rep…Unclear how the opt-out may affect his status. Dalvin Tomlinson is the current alternate.
— GiantsWFAN (@giantswfan) July 29, 2020
By Solder opting out, he is no longer on the active roster. He gets placed on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list, which incidentally is where DeAndre Baker is at the moment, but for different reasons. The huge difference between those two players is that Solder will not need the league office to approve his return to the Giants in 2021, or before.
Player representatives are selected by their teammates in the fall of every even-numbered year, so there would be a vote on the position this season. Each NFL team is required to choose a rep and at least one alternate. The board of player reps meets at least once a year and makes all of the important decisions for the organization.
Tomlinson is going into his fourth season as a Giant, selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He is a personable and respected player in the Giants’ locker room, having started all 48 games on the defensive line since going Big Blue.
Tomlinson is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and will be eligible for free agency next March. The Giants hope to lock him up with a contract extension long before that happens.
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