The New York Giants suffered a brutal blow to their special teams unit last Friday. Return specialist -- and part-time wide receiver -- Gunner Olszewski went down during practice with a non-contact right leg injury, which has unfortunately been confirmed as a season-ending torn Achilles.
The injury leaves a massive void at both punt and kickoff returner just as the team ramps up its 2026 offseason preparations.
On Monday morning, the G-Men brought in a group of veteran wide receivers for an immediate workout. The list of attendees included JuJu Smith-Schuster, Anthony Miller, Braxton Berrios, and even Big Blue legend Odell Beckham Jr.
Ultimately, general manager Joe Schoen and new head coach John Harbaugh prioritized immediate special teams utility over receiver depth, which makes sense given Olszewski's role. Following the morning workouts, Adam Schefter reported that New York officially signed Berrios to a one-year contract.
The eight-year veteran comes in as a near-spitting image of Olszewski, offering break-glass-in-case-of-emergency receiver depth and a fearless return man.
Braxton Berrios signing turns the Giants' return game into a wide-open training camp battle
The addition of Berrios brings an experienced résumé to East Rutherford. A former First-Team All-Pro returner with the New York Jets, Berrios has carved out a solid career by averaging 11.3 yards per punt return and 24.9 yards per kickoff return.
His familiarity with MetLife Stadium makes him a reliable option for Harbaugh, who also happens to be a special teams guy.
However, the 30-year-old won't simply be handed a role. It's competition time. His arrival officially sparks a sneaky-entertaining three-way training camp battle for the hybrid WR/KR role. He'll go head-to-head with 2025 undrafted free agent Dalen Cambre and fourth-year veteran receiver Xavier Gipson, who the Giants claimed off waivers last year.
Cambre earned a reputation as a third-phase weapon. Known more as a "red flag" specialist because of his next-to-none college receiving stats, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns product made the roster almost entirely because of his play on special teams coverages and block units. He also holds for the placekicker if special teams coordinator Chris Horton ever needs it.
With Olszewski sidelined, all three players now have a clear path to the 53-man. This might end up being one of the more interesting camp battles of the entire roster, especially with all three guys fighting for the same role.
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