Anthony Rivardo
Gunner Olszewski gave the New York Giants exactly what they needed last season. He stabilized the return game, gave them competent special-teams production, and even provided a little offensive value when called upon.
But that does not mean his roster spot should feel automatic. The Giants suddenly have several young receivers and capable return specialists fighting for roster oxygen. If Olszewski is not clearly the best return option, his offensive limitations give the Giants a difficult roster decision.
Can Olszewski keep his job as the return specialist?
The Giants clearly valued what Olszewski brought back. The team re-signed Olszewski before he hit unrestricted free agency earlier this offseason. In 2025, Olszewski totaled 24 punt returns for 216 yards, 26 kickoff returns for 682 yards, and 10 catches for 145 yards and one touchdown. He finished the year with 1,043 all-purpose yards.
Olszewski does not have to be a major offensive piece if he is giving the Giants reliable field position and clean return decisions. That is the whole argument for keeping a specialist like him.
Plus, his contract is cheap. The Giants re-signed Olszewski on a one-year, $1.4 million deal, the league minimum. This is not a money problem. It is a roster-value problem.
The Giants have legitimate return specialist competition
Unfortunately for Olszewski, the Giants have changed the receiver and return landscape around him. The Giants also signed Xavier Gipson to the active roster in January. Gipson was notably considered a rising special teams star a few seasons ago with the New York Jets.
Dalen Cambre is also still on the roster. He impressed on special teams last summer as an undrafted rookie during training camp. Then there’s undrafted rookie RB Damon Bankston, who gives the team another capable athlete after. Bankston’s kick-return appeal helped him get scooped up by the Giants.
Then there’s former first-round pick Deonte Banks, who received two Second-Team All-Pro votes as a kick returner following the 2025 season. Although he hasn’t found success as a starting cornerback in the NFL, despite his first-round billing, Banks is aiming to make a career turnaround on special teams. He returned 19 kicks for 622 yards (32.7 average) and one touchdown in 2025.
The Giants have a real kick return competition now.
None of those players necessarily has Olszewski’s established resume as a kicker returner. But some of them may offer more developmental upside or more offensive/defensive flexibility, and that is where the roster math gets interesting.
Olszewski’s offensive limitations could cost him a roster spot
Olszewski is not on the team to be a major contributor on offense, and that is fine as long as he is able to clearly contribute on special teams. But an issue arises if Olszewski loses his grip on the return specialist position.
If Gipson, Bankston, Cambre, Banks, or another young player can handle return duties while also offering more upside on offense or defense, the Giants have to think about the roster spot differently. Olszewski’s 10 catches last season were useful, but they do not force a staff to keep him if someone else can match the special-teams value.
That is the pressure. Olszewski does not have to become something he is not. He just has to keep being clearly better at the thing he is here to do. If he protects the ball, makes sound decisions, and gives the Giants efficient return production, he should keep the job. If the gap closes, the Giants’ younger options could make the decision more complicated than it looked in March.
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