Giants’ Jermaine Eluemunor dazzled in signing career contract

This was not just another morning heading to the Giants team facility. So no hoodie or sweats or sneakers for Jermaine Eluemunor.

A special day meant special attire.

“I truly wanted to show just how important this is,” Eluemunor said Thursday. “And I feel like you put on suits for important events, and this truly is an important event, and I just wanted to show whoever — the fans, the coaches, anyone in the building — just how much this meant to me and how much I truly appreciate this.

“And I feel like you have to dress for the occasion. Not everyone may do it, but for me I truly think that it was appropriate for this situation and the day. And it’s a huge day for me and my family and I wanted to show that through the suit.”

And what a suit.

Eluemunor for the occasion unveiled a custom-made number, a snappy teal, double-breasted design with pink accents — with pictures of him and his daughters lining the inside. 

He had an inkling and a hope that his return to the Giants was in the offing, so a few days before the start of free agency, while on vacation in St. Lucia, he contacted his New Jersey tailor at Gentleman’s Playbook with specific instructions.

“I said, ‘Hey, God willing, I’m going to sign the biggest contract of my life, and I want a suit that matches the occasion.’ ” Eluemunor said. “I had always wanted a suit that looked like this, and I’m very glad that I get to put it on and just wear it for the day, which is an honor and I’m really grateful for it.”

The day was a big one because Eluemunor was summoned to the building to sign a brand-new, three-year, $39 million contract — with $26 million guaranteed — to remain as the Giants’ starting right tackle. The team’s wanting him back meant a great deal to him, a sign that his somewhat vagabond NFL existence was replaced by stability and loyalty, that the good work he put in the past two seasons did not go unappreciated.

It also means plenty that this new version of the Giants decided to bring him back. When John Harbaugh knew you then and wants you now, that resonates.

Harbaugh was Eluemunor’s first NFL head coach, and they spent two years together. Eluemunor as a 2017 fifth-round draft pick was not able to put down roots in Baltimore. He was a guard back then and started just three games in two seasons. 

In August 2019, Eluemunor was traded to the Patriots. His breakthrough came in 2022 in Las Vegas, starting all 17 games at right tackle, aligned with Raiders offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. Bricillo moved on to the Giants, and his recommendation to Brian Daboll was a big reason why Eluemunor was signed to a two-year, $14 million contract.

The Giants more than got their money’s worth out of that deal, as Eluemunor started 31 games the past two seasons. He consistently graded out higher as a pass blocker than he did as a run blocker, and that makes this reunion with Harbaugh and a new offensive line coach, Mike Bloomgren, something to watch, given Harbaugh’s oft-stated goal to be a power running offense. Harbaugh, of course, is also highly invested in protecting quarterback Jaxson Dart, and Eluemunor offers security with that.

“Obviously, I wasn’t a good enough player back when I was in Baltimore, that’s why they traded me,” Eluemunor said. “Standing in front of Harbs and telling him the player I’ve become and the player I’m going to be in the future, it was really cool. Back when I got drafted, that was almost 10 years ago now. So, I’ve grown a lot, matured a lot, and coming into my own as a player and as a person, and I’m just really glad that Coach Harbs gets to see that.”

Eluemunor, 31, is a wear-his-heart-on-his-sleeve type of competitor, and that made him a favorite of a Giants fan base starved for a quality offensive line. He is now an established, well-paid returning starter, and with that comes increased expectations.

“Now a whole new, different pressure gets put on your shoulders, where you need to produce because you need to show the fans and the franchise and the coaches and the GM and the owners that you are worth the money that they’re investing in you,” he said. “Because that’s what it is, it’s an investment. So now for me, my job now is to show that their investment was worthwhile.”