Giants Facing $17.6M+ decision on free-agent WR Wan’Dale Robinson

The New York Giants will have a tough decision to make this offseason regarding the future of WR Wan’Dale Robinson.

Coming off a career year in 2025, Robinson is set to hit free agency this offseason and is due to cash in with a massive payday. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan recently reported that Robinson returning to the Giants in free agency this offseason “seems likely,” however, his spiking price tag could make an extension challenging.

Wan’Dale Robinson Broke Out in 2025

Robinson has spent the last three seasons evolving from a gadget player into a legitimate high-volume weapon. His reliable presence in the slot could be a stabilizing force for this young offense as they build around Jaxson Dart entering his second season.

In his 2025 campaign, the 25-year-old Robinson became the shortest player in NFL history to record a 1,000-yard season. Stepping up in the wake of Malik Nabers’ injury, Robinson hauled in 92 receptions for 1,014 yards and 4 touchdowns, proving he can be the offense’s primary receiving option when called upon.

This breakout season will result in a robust market and a massive payday for Robinson this offseason.

Can the Giants Afford to Pay Robinson?

According to Spotrac, Robinson has a projected market value at $17.6M per year. This would make him among the highest-paid slot receivers in the NFL, competing with the likes of Jakobi Meyers ($20M), Christian Kirk ($18M), Cooper Kupp ($15M), and Khalil Shakir ($13.25M).

Robinson could exceed that projected market value, though, as this offseason’s crop of free agent wide receivers is thin, which will give the Giants plenty of competition to re-sign Robinson.

When Christian Kirk signed his contract, it reset the market for slot receivers and made him the highest-paid slot receiver in the NFL. He had not recorded a 1,000-yard season in his career at the time of signing. Since Robinson has crossed that threshold once before, he could view Kirk’s $18M salary as a floor, and potentially far exceed it, pushing into the $20M range where Jakobi Meyers and many boundary receivers live.

The Giants are navigating a tight salary cap space situation (they currently have just $6.9M in available 2026 cap space). They will need to release veterans and restucture contract to make space for the offseason. However, clearing enough space to afford a contract hovering around $20M in average annual value for Robinson could be challenging.

Darius Slayton is signed to a contract paying him $12M per season, and there is not an out in the deal until next offseason. Now considering paying Robinson, it might be difficult for the Giants to tie up that much money to the wide receiver position, especially with a potential Malik Nabers mega-extension looming overhead in the coming years.

Giants Should Extend Home-Grown Talents Like Robinson

Robinson is a young, ascending, home-grown talent — the exact kind of player the Giants should be aiming to re-sign. Letting him walk in free agency just to replace his role with a rookie in the draft would be a disappointing outcome.

However, the Giants must balance the pros and cons of tying up that much money to one position, especially when considering Robinson’s limited skill set that forces him to play primarily out of the slot.

Ultimately, if the price is right, and if the Giants can clear enough cap space to make it work, Robinson is an ideal extension candidate.