The New York Giants didn’t wait around for the chaos of free agency to start making moves. Just days before the legal tampering window opens Monday, Big Blue quietly handled a small but necessary piece of business.
According to Adam Schefter, the G-Men are re-signing wide receiver and return specialist Gunner Olszewski to a one-year deal before he had the chance to hit the open market:
Before becoming a free agent next week, wide receiver Gunner Olszewski reached agreement today on a one-year deal to return to the New York Giants, per source. pic.twitter.com/s8qS4H7r3v
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2026
And just like that, one of the biggest and most highly sought-after free agent WRs is off the market.
All jokes aside, it’s not the kind of signing that'll get the fans feeling Super Bowl in March, but it’s the sort of move that keeps the roster from developing unnecessary holes while the front office focuses on bigger priorities.
Giants lock in Gunner Olszewski before free agency chaos ensues
Olszewski has quietly become a steady piece of the special teams unit since arriving in East Rutherford during the 2023 season. After bouncing around early in his career with the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, he's carved out a reliable role in New York, handling both kickoff and punt returns.
The 29-year-old appeared in 16 games during the 2025 season and delivered the most consistent return production Big Blue had all year. He averaged 26.2 yards on kickoff returns and 9.0 yards on punts while limiting muffed punts and poor field position, something this new coaching staff under John Harbaugh values more than anything.
There were also a few surprise moments mixed in. Injuries forced the G-Men to dig deep into their pockets to find wide receiver depth at times, and Olszewski stepped up when his number was called with 10 receptions, including an electric performance in the season finale when he shredded the Dallas Cowboys' defense for eight receptions and 102 yards.
He did miss his lone throwing attempt that game, though, so it's unlikely he'll take over for Russell Wilson as QB3, but as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency WR and stud returner, this is a good move.
Bringing him back now keeps the return game from becoming another offseason puzzle to solve. Special teams rarely get the attention they deserve (unless it's bad), but losing a trusted returner right before free agency could have easily created one more hole on a roster that already has several.
With the re-signing handled early, the Giants can turn their attention to the ensuing chaos of the offseason. The legal tampering window opens Monday, and the front office has far bigger questions to answer across the roster.