Giants sign kick returner/wide receiver Gunner Olszewski

The Giants signed kick returner and wide receiver Gunner Olszewski, the team announced on Monday.

Olszewski played 10 games for New York during the 2023 season and was expected to be a key special teamer last year, but he re-aggravated a groin injury shortly before kickoff in Week 1 and missed the entire season.

In a corresponding move, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who sustained a season-ending torn Achilles during practice on Sunday, has been placed on injured reserve.

Olszewski first signed to the Giants' practice squad in October 2023 before he was added to the active roster and appeared in nine games that year. His biggest play came in Week 17 when he returned a punt 94 yards for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams. That return snapped a streak of 135 games (including three postseason contests) since Big Blue's last punt return for a touchdown in December 2015 by Dwayne Harris.

After not being selected in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Bemidji State (Division II), Olszewski signed with the New England Patriots. He spent the first three seasons of his career there as a return specialist and wide receiver, averaging 12.6 yards per punt return (66 returns) with one touchdown.

He was named First Team All-Pro for the 2020 season as a punt returner when he averaged 17.3 yards per return on 20 returns with a touchdown.

In parts of two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he struggled during his 18 games with the franchise before he was released.

Olszewski has 15 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown in his career. He has fumbled the ball 11 times with his team losing possession on six of those occasions.