The New York Giants are giving offensive coordinator Mike Kafka a chance to show that he is the best man for the head coach job after replacing the recently fired Brian Daboll, but the highly-regarded candidate needs a few more impactful pieces to get his offense looking exactly like it is supposed to.
With wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo lost for the remainder of the season, Kafka is already struggling to give red-hot rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart enough complementary pieces to effectively threaten opposing defenses. That might change after Kafka brought back someone who has had some productive days with the Giants before.
The Giants agreed to sign wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins, who recorded 56 catches in parts of three seasons with New York, away from the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad. Considering how well he knows the playbook, fans can expect to see him on the field sooner rather than later.
Hodgins, who will forever be remembered fondly by Giants fans for his performance in the team's playoff win against the Minnesota Vikings, now has an opportunity to show Joe Schoen that he was wrong in prematurely cutting ties with him before the season.
Giants sign WR Isaiah Hodgins from Steelers practice squad
A former sixth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hodgins turned his extremely limited play time up north into a fairly substantial role as one of Daniel Jones' second-tier pass catches. In the 2022 season, Hodgins caught 33 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns in just eight games.
Hodgins settled into a role as WR3 behind Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton the next year, but the arrival of Nabers pushed him even further down the depth chart. After spending time on the 49ers' and Steelers' practice squads, New York saw fit to bring him back to Big Blue.
Hodgins may get a good chunk of targets from Jaxson Dart, as the injuries to Nabers and Slaton have let an already subpar group of wide receivers even thinner than before. Knowing Kafka's offense could be a major positive in terms of moving up the depth chart.
Hodgins coming back might be exactly what Kafka needs right now, as he knows for sure that Hodgins can run his playbook exactly as he wants it to be run. As Kafka tries to maximize the potential of his young quarterback, that confidence at receiver is a major boon.