The New York Giants fear that wide receiver Gunner Olszewski , who was carted off the practice field on Friday, tore his Achilles, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN . Olszewski will undergo additional testing to confirm the injury.
According to multiple reporters in attendance at the practice, Olszewski went down with a non-contact injury during a drill. If confirmed, Olszewski will be the third Giants player to go down with a torn Achilles this offseason — joining defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris and cornerback Thaddeus Dixon.
The Giants re-signed former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Olszewski to a one-year contract in March.
Olszewski, 29, is coming off the most productive season of his career as a wide receiver. In 16 games with the Giants, he was targeted 13 times, making 10 catches for 145 yards. He only had 190 receiving yards total in the rest of his NFL career.
He also returned 24 punts for 216 yards and 26 kicks for 682 yards, finishing with 1,043 all-purpose yards. He even threw a pass for a touchdown, competing a 33-yard trick play to quarterback Jameis Winston .
Olszewski has been on and off the Giants' roster the last few years. He first joined the club after the Steelers released him in October of 2023, and he spent the entire 2024 season on the injured reserve list.
Olszewski started the 2022 season as the Steelers' punt returner but was replaced in 2023 after he muffed two punts in a three-game span including one against his former team, the Patriots , that led to a touchdown in a 17-14 loss.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Gunner Olszewski against the Buffalo Bills, Aug. 19, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Steelers signed Olszewski to a two-year contract in March of 2022 with the intention of him replacing Ray-Ray McCloud as a slot receiver and return man. He lost his punt return job to Steven Sims early last season and only kept his receiving role because the team traded away Chase Claypool.
In 18 games with the Steelers, he caught six passes for 53 yards, ran eight times for 39 yards, returned nine punts for 63 yards, and two kickoff returns for 24 yards. He had four total fumbles.
In 2020, Olszewski played in 13 games for the Patriots and caught a total of five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. He recorded his first NFL touchdown in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers on a punt return and then caught his first NFL receiving touchdown later in that same game. After the season, Olszewski was named Associated Press All-Pro first-team at the punt returner position.
Olszewski appeared in 16 games again in 2021 as he only caught two passes for 31 yards and did not score a receiving touchdown. In a game against the Chargers, Olszewski had three punt returns of 20 yards or more which is a rare feat, last accomplished by a Patriots player in 2000.
Alan Saunders contributed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Former Steelers WR Feared to Have Suffered Devastating Injury
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