The New York Giants retain one of the standout players of the 2022 season. The club announced Thursday that it has signed wide receiver Isiah Hodgins.
The Giants signed WR Isiah Hodgins, who was to be an exclusive free agent.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 16, 2023
The specific terms of Hodgins’ contract were not immediately disclosed. However, this will prevent the pass catcher from becoming a free agent later this offseason.
The 24-year-old was to become an exclusive rights-free agent. So all New York needed to keep Hodgins was to extend his offer qualifying. Because of this, he cannot negotiate with other teams. It is unclear at this time whether the Giants chose his route qualifying his offer, or whether the wide agreed to a more lucrative and/or longer-term contract with the receiver. Despite this, he plans to make a comeback in 2023.
Hodgins originally entered the NFL from Oregon in 2020 as a sixth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills. He entered the 2022 season at Buffalo, but was waived on Nov. 1. New York claimed he was taken off waivers and reunited with Giants head coach Brian Daball.
As New York’s large receiver room dried up, Hodgins became a go-to. He started five of the ten games he played for his club to close out his regular season. He also started both of his two playoff games for the Giants, including a win against the Vikings in Minnesota on his Wild card. In that game, Hodgins caught eight of his nine targets and achieved his career-high 105 yards and a touchdown.
New York faces a pivotal offseason, with quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Sacwon Barkley both set to hit free agency. In addition to maintaining an offensive pillar, they will also look to improve their large receiver room to ensure that Hodgins isn’t the only one catching passes.
The Giants outperformed expectations, but are not contenders to win the NFC East, according to the New York sportsbook. To get that achievement, they’ll need to outdo the reigning NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.