The New York Giants made one of their first moves of the offseason Thursday evening, re-signing veteran wide receiver Gunner Olszewski to a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It will be Olszewski’s fourth year with the Giants, having previously played for the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers to start his career.
Despite being a wide receiver, Olszewski primarily plays special teams and was New York’s return specialist in 2025.
After a career-high 26.2 yards per kick return this past season, new head coach (and former special teams coordinator) John Harbaugh hopes to maintain some positive continuity in one of the most underrated facets of the game.
Gunner Olszewski’s Giants Tenure
Olszewski’s New York Giants career began midway through the 2023 season, when Big Blue claimed him off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He was shortly elevated to the active roster and became a key contributor on special teams, even returning a punt for a touchdown in Week 17 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Unfortunately, a groin injury cost Olszewski the 2024 season, and he spent the entire year on injured reserve.
In the summer of 2025, he re-signed with the Giants and had his career-best season, as previously mentioned.
He recorded personal bests in kick returns and chipped in a solid nine yards per return on punts.
But Olszewski got more work as a true wide receiver as well, and hauled in 10 receptions for 145 and a touchdown. In Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys, the former undrafted free agent caught eight passes for 102 yards.
We’ll see if he can carry that production into the 2026 season.
What’s Next for the Giants at Wide Receiver?
Just because the New York Giants brought back Olszewski doesn’t mean they’re done addressing the wide receiver position, not even close.
There’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart’s offensive arsenal, and it’ll start with what happens with impending free agent Wan’Dale Robinson.
The free agent wide receiver market is relatively thin this year, and despite Robinson primarily playing out of the slot, he’s still one of the better options available and is expected to have plenty of suitors, including the Tennessee Titans.
SNY’s Connor Hughes reported that there may be a bidding war incoming between the Titans and Giants over the former second-round pick.
“While the #Titans are very high on free-agent WR Wan’Dale Robinson, and there is mutual interest, the #Giants will not go down quietly during the legal tampering period,” wrote Hughes.
“Tennessee will have to outbid New York if they want the slot wideout who caught 92 passes for 1,014 yards with 4 TDs.”
As noble as it sounds, New York may be a bit over its skis when it comes to bidding against Tennessee.
Entering free agency, the Giants have about $9.8 million to work with, per Over the Cap, while the Titans have the most cap space in the league with $93.8 million.
If it comes down to price, there’s no question that Tennessee will be willing to offer more, and there’s nothing New York could do about it.
Instead, the Giants may have to turn their attention to the draft to find a new running mate for Malik Nabers.
Giants Re-Sign Veteran WR to One-Year Deal Days Before Free Agency