Nearly 600 days after helping the Giants win a playoff game, Isaiah Hodgins was released and only offered a position on the practice squad.
This week marked a turning point in a humiliating saga for the receiver, who was quarterback Daniel Jones' favorite target late in the 2022 season, as he returned to his roots: proving himself.
At the time, Hodgins capped off a burst of hot numbers with eight catches for 105 yards and a touchdown (his fifth in six games) in a wild-card win over the Vikings.
Now, he is fighting to get back onto the 53-man roster.
“I think my game has improved a lot since then. I'm smarter, I'm faster, and my toughness, my grit, what I want to do, my drive is still there,” Hodgins said. “I just have to be given the opportunity to show those things. In 2022, teams were giving me six to 10 targets per game and I made the most of it. I truly believe if teams were giving me six targets per game, I would have made the most of it even more. When it's time to show that, I'll be able to do it.”
The Giants are investing heavily in four receivers: Malik Neighbors, Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.
Two other versatile receivers, returner Gunner Olszewski and kick coverage specialist Bryce Ford Wheaton, filled niches.
“Those conversations are never easy to have,” coach Brian Daboll said. “We just try to be transparent. I think there's a mutual respect there. That's what you want.”
This left Hodgins and Allen Robinson in the cold.
Robinson signed with the Lions' practice squad instead of returning to the Giants, but Hodgins stayed put.
“It wasn't an ideal situation for me and it's been tough for sure, but I'm not going to let it stop my hard work or my preparation,” Hodgins said. “I have a good support system. I just felt like there was still an opportunity here somewhere, and that one day I'd be able to show my worth and my credibility.”
Hodgins' eight touchdowns over the past two seasons with the Giants were second only to departed Saquon Barkley.
He's had opportunities to move on, including free agency and, more recently, offers from other practice squads, but he keeps coming back.
“There's just a lot of uncertainty, so we're moving around a lot. “When you go to other practice squads, they say, 'He's our main guy. He's going to be the first guy.' [called] “'Up,' you say? Are you sure?” Hodgins said. “I know the people here, I know the system, and I know they trust me to go out there and compete if something comes up.”
Daboll said backup center Austin Schlottmann (leg) was placed on injured reserve and will likely miss “four or more weeks” after suffering the injury during practice on Wednesday.
He was pushing a scooter around the locker room with his cast on.
Starting RG Greg Van Roten and LG Jon Runyan Jr. were both scratched during training camp.
If C John-Michael Schmitz is unavailable, Van Roten will likely fill in, with G Aaron Stinney taking his place.
FB/TE Jacob Johnson was promoted to the 53-man roster in the resulting move.
CB Art Green, CB Duke Shelley and DT Elijah Garcia were added to the practice squad.
Shelley has started 11 of the 52 regular season games he has played.
He was on the field for all 72 defensive snaps when Hodgins' Giants beat the Vikings in the 2022 playoffs.
Both Green and Garcia were released by the Broncos earlier this week.
