Not long after Gunner Olszewski was released, he found a new opportunity. The veteran receiver and returner has agreed to a deal with the Giants, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Olszewski joined Pittsburgh last March in a move that marked an end to his highly acclaimed time in New England. The 26-year-old didn’t receive as many looks in the return game with the Steelers as he did with the Patriots, and his pair of fumbles in limited action helped lead to his release last week. Now, he will look to regain his previous form in New York.
This is a practice squad agreement, Pelissero adds, but teams have routinely taken the gameday elevation path with notable players in situations such as this one. Olszewski should have an immediate path to playing time with the Giants, given the team’s struggles in the return game this season. Rookie Eric Gray‘s issues with respect to ball security continued on Sunday, as he muffed a punt for the third time this year.
That caused the Giants to turn to fellow wideout Sterling Shepard, then Darius Slayton, in the punt return role. The former fumbled a punt during the Week 7 win, illustrating the need for further moves to be made. As a vested veteran, Olszewski did not pass through waivers and was free to immediately sign with any interested team. He will provide New York with a more experienced third-phase contributor as he looks to provide them with a repeat of his 2020 performance.
That year, the former UDFA led the NFL in punt return average (17.3 yards) and ran one punt back for a touchdown. He also averaged 23.2 yards per return on kickoffs, which helped earn him first-team All-Pro honors. If he can return to that form, the Giants (who entered the day with just $2.3M in cap space) will have alleviated their issues in the return game and Olszewski could play his way into an extended look in the Big Apple.
More must-reads: