An old friend returned to the New York Giants last Sunday.
After being signed off the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad, wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins made his return known in a 27-20 loss against the Green Bay Packers. In the first game of the Mike Kafka era, Hodgins seemed to fit very well in New York's offense as the wideout had five receptions for 57 yards, including a 20-yard reception.
The 27-year-old's heavy involvement in the Giants' offense shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise, as his first stint with them in 2022 was one a pretty big success. Hodgins was claimed off waivers from the Buffalo Bills PSQ midway through that season, but in just five games, he had 33 receptions for 351 yards and four touchdowns. His biggest game with Big Blue came during their surprising Wild Card win against the Minnesota Vikings, when he racked up a career-high 105 receiving yards on eight catches, propelling them to a 31-24 win.
While Hodgins did not produce much with the G-Men following that magical season for him, he is now back on the team where he found the most success at the NFL level and seems poised to make an impact during the final six games of the season.
Isaiah Hodgins opens up about reunion with Giants
Hodgins met with reporters on Wednesday and gave his insight on his return to the Giants after his first game back against Green Bay.
“I'm gonna try to do the same thing I did last time,” Hodgins said. “Just build off that momentum. So that's really controlling what I can.”
And after seeing him be very active in the offense in Week 11, Kafka was very impressed by how easily Hudgins adjusted on short notice.
“For a guy like Isaiah, who's really smart, we knew that about him. That's one of the reasons why we brought him in,” Kafka said. "But I was very impressed with how he jumped in even on that short notice.”
With the Giants once again having nothing to play for during the final month and a half of the regular season, the 27-year-old will have the chance to perhaps regain that 2022 form and prove a reunion with the wide receiver was a great choice.