Robinson.
Getty
Robinson is set to hit free agency this offseason.
The 2025 NFL season was not kind to the New York Giants as a franchise. In the span of four months, the Giants lost their star wide receiver and star running back to gruesome, season-ending injuries, fired their head coach, and finished the season 4-13.
With all that being said, the pieces are in place in a lot of areas for New York to turn things around in 2026. With the hiring of legendary head coach John Harbaugh, Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo tabbed to return, and the encouraging play of rookie QB Jaxson Dart, there is hope in New York.
With Nabers set to come back after his season ending ACL and meniscus injuries, the Giants have some decisions to make at wide receiver, and those decisions may not be fan-favorites.
NFL Insider Predicts Giants Will Let Robinson Walk in FA
Dan Duggan, a Giants beat reporter for “The Athletic,” released his 10-step offseason plan for the New York heading into the 2026 season. Step five of his plan involves fan-favorite wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.
Despite his breakout season as he stepped up to fill the void Nabers left in the offense, Duggan says that the Giants should let the unrestricted free agent walk this offseason.
Robinson, who caught 92 passes for 1,014 yards in 2025, is hitting the open market for the first time in his career. According to Spotrac, his market value is a four-year, $70 million contract; a steep price for a No. 2 receiver, and especially steep for the Giants who are looking to get younger and cheaper in a rebuild.
Because of this value Robinson accumulated through his strong campaign, Duggan says the Giants should let him walk, and instead build at WR behind Nabers through the draft.
“Robinson made impressive strides in 2025, topping 1,000 yards receiving and increasing his yards per catch average by 3.5,” Duggan wrote. “But those numbers will be difficult to replicate when Malik Nabers returns as the passing game’s No. 1 option. Robinson became more of a downfield threat last season, but the 5-foot-8, 185-pounder’s size limitations are real. The Giants should be able to find a receiver with a comparable skill set in the middle rounds of the draft.
[Jermaine] Eluemunor, [Cor’Dale] Flott and Robinson combined to count $15.5 million against the cap last season. It will be far more expensive to keep all of those players, and that doesn’t even account for the need to upgrade at other spots. Robinson should have the highest price tag, yet is the most expendable from that group.”
Letting Robinson Walk Opens Space in Cap and On Field
For a team that is in the midst of a rebuild, big contracts for skill players aren’t typically the best use of money, unless that position is quarterback. New York will instead be focusing on retaining defensive players like Flott, Dexter Lawrence, and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Receivers typically command the most money outside of QB’s, as is shown in Robinson’s market value. And Duggan is right; Robinson is a good, bordering on great receiver, but his talent can be replicated pretty easily by a mid-round draft pick who will cost New York pennies on the dollar in comparison.
If this was a competitive, playoff-caliber team, keeping Robinson as he’s peaking would make more sense, but for this iteration of the Giants, his contract is simply too high a price to pay.