Is Giants finale last we'll see of Wan'Dale Robinson and two more key free agents?
The Giants have let some quality homegrown players leave in free agency in the past. Will they do it again?
With the New York Giants sitting at 3-13 with only one game remaining this season, there’s plenty of reason to start looking ahead.
After Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, we’ll know the fate of general manager Joe Schoen. We’ll also find out the Giants’ spot in the 2026 NFL Draft after a win in Las Vegas last weekend upset their bid for the No. 1 overall pick. The search for the new Giants head coach will begin in earnest.
However, in a game that might be meaningless to many fans already thinking about the future, it might also be the last we see of three key Giants who are impending free agents. It’s their — as well as New York’s other impending free agents — final opportunity to make an impression ahead of hitting the market.
Two of the three key players were drafted by this regime. Assuming Schoen is still in charge in 2026, we’ll see whether he opts to re-sign one or both, or if he allows them to test the market and go elsewhere.
One of the knocks on Schoen during his four-year run has been letting quality homegrown players leave and seeing them flourish elsewhere. Running back Saquon Barkley stands out as the top example, as he went on to win a Super Bowl with Philadelphia last season. Safeties Xavier McKinney and Julian Love have been standouts for the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, respectively, since leaving New York.
Will these three current Giants join those ranks or remain in New York as they enter a new era under a new coach?
Let’s get to it:
WR Wan’Dale Robinson
Robinson just hit a career milestone, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards for the first time. A 2022 second-rounder, Robinson delivered the most productive season of his career as he’s stepped up since Malik Nabers tore his ACL in Week 4.
Robinson has totaled 92 receptions for 1,014 receiving yards (12th-most in the league entering Week 18) and four touchdowns. Not only has Robinson’s production improved by more than 300 receiving yards from his previous season-high, but he’s also displayed versatility. With Nabers out, Robinson moved out of the slot, where he had been primarily stationed his first three years, and proved he’s more than capable of working on the outside.
The Giants need receiving help. The position is top-heavy, as we saw with Nabers’ injury, and Robinson has been the clear No. 2. The next player with the most receiving yards is TE Theo Johnson with 528 yards. Darius Slayton has endured a disappointing season, totaling just 504 receiving yards after signing a three-year, $36 million contract in the offseason.
Given that free-agent wide receivers tend to get paid, Robinson won’t come cheaply. The Jacksonville Jaguars just agreed to a 3-year, $60 million contract extension with Jakobi Meyers, which at least shows the going rate for a steady veteran wide receiver.
However, perhaps a more apt comparison is Buffalo Bills slot receiver Khalil Shakir, who signed a four-year, $53 million deal in February. Neither player made it to the open market. If Robinson does, he has a chance to land an even more lucrative contract.