The New York Giants signed Kenny Golladay this offseason to be their number one receiver. In fact, the Giants were confident enough in getting value from Golladay that they signed him to a $72 million dollar contract despite having other pressing needs such as strengthening the lines. Through the first few games of the season, Golladay didn’t really look like a player that was being paid such a large amount.
However, that started to change against the Saints when the wide receiver recorded his best statline of the season. Golladay caught 6 of 7 passes targeted his way and recorded 116 receiving yards, setting season highs in both statistics.
Furthermore, the advanced stats tell a good story. A lack of separation was a complaint about Golladay’s performance in the opening weeks of the season, but statistics show an improvement in that area.
It's all a matter of getting healthier for Kenny Golladay. Remember, he missed most of the summer with a hamstring injury and predicted this offense might start slow.
Average yards of Separation by game (per NextGen):
Week 1: 0.93
Week 2: 1.52
Week 3: 3.1
Week 4: 3.35— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) October 4, 2021
Some of the shift is likely because of changes to playcalling and placing Golladay in more situations to break away. Golladay was also on the field more against New Orleans, playing 92% of the snaps for the Giants.
Another factor is recovering from injury. Golladay came into the season fighting with a hamstring injury, which could have kept him out for the opener. While he did end up playing, and has played in every game so far, it definitely appears Golladay wasn’t at 100% for the first few games.
With Golladay clearly improving week to week, however, we can expect to see more chemistry build between him and Daniel Jones in the coming games. And if Golladay can continue to play like he did against New Orleans, many in the fanbase will feel better about the money spent to acquire him.