Giants Re-Sign Familiar Face at WR Amid Rash of Injuries: Report

The New York Giants have had several injuries at the wide receiver position to start training camp, and according to ESPN NYG beat reporter Jordan Raanan, they just made a signing as a result.

“The Giants are re-signing WR/KR Gunner Olszewski, per source,” Raanan relayed on July 28. “Good returner [who] was with the Giants each of the past two seasons. [The] move comes on the heels of losing receiver and special teamer Bryce Ford-Wheaton for the season with an Achilles tear.”

Ford-Wheaton’s injury is the most significant so far, but multiple Giants wide receivers are banged up at training camp already. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan summarized all of the WR issues just before the Olszewski signing was reported.

“Rookie WR Da’Quan Felton is riding a bike on the side at the start of practice. So they’ll be down from 14 to 10 healthy WRs today,” Duggan noted. “Presumably, they’ll put Bryce Ford-Wheaton on IR and add a WR. And it doesn’t seem like Felton, Jalin Hyatt or Wan’Dale Robinson will miss much time. But tough to be down players at a position as the heat/intensity picks up.”

As Duggan alluded, Hyatt and Robinson are the other two wideouts who are dealing with injuries, along with Felton.

Hyatt has been out with “cramping,” while Robinson is sidelined with what sounds like some sort of leg contusion.

“Daboll said Wan’Dale Robinson won’t practice today, but it’s ‘nothing serious,’ he got kneed in the leg,” Duggan reported on Monday morning.

Robinson’s injury appeared to stem from a collision with star outside linebacker Brian Burns on July 25.

Giants Now Have 3 WRs Who Also Specialize as Returners on Training Camp Roster

The Giants signing another wide receiver was expected, and a reunion even makes some sense, considering Olszewski already has knowledge of the system and the playbook. But what’s curious is that his play style is very similar to two healthy wide receivers who are on the roster already.

The man to beat at WR/returner is definitely Ihmir Smith-Marsette, and then the Giants also have Montrell Washington on the 90-man roster. Olszewski would presumably compete with those two for a job, but that also makes him somewhat redundant.

Instead, the Giants could have checked back in on a bigger name like Gabe Davis, or a wide receiver that better matches the skillset of Ford-Wheaton.

Although the two most likely wide receivers to replace the injured core special teamer might already be on the roster. Undrafted rookie Dalen Cambre had been highlighted for his special teams ability coming out of college, and veteran Zach Pascal has kept his career going as a core ST contributor, too.

Perhaps, the Giants felt like they were already well-positioned to replace Ford-Wheaton.

More on Giants WR Signing Gunner Olszewski

After the move was reported, Duggan reminded Giants fans that “Olszewski had his entire 2024 season wiped away when he suffered a major core/groin injury during warmups for the opener.”

Adding: “He had just returned from a less severe version of the injury. Adds another slot/returner option.”

Olszewski has bounced around the NFL since 2019 and was a first-team All-Pro returner in 2020. He started his career with the New England Patriots, then joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.

Olszewski is mostly a returner, but has accumulated 180 receiving yards and 71 rushing yards, as well as 1 receiving touchdown. His career punt and kick return averages (regular season only) are 11.9 and 22.0, respectively, with 2 career punt return TDs.

The return specialist spent time with the Giants’ active roster in 2023, returning 23 punts for 273 yards and a touchdown.