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The New York Giants have signed wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins, who was set to become an exclusive rights free agent, according to Ian Rapport of NFL.com.
Isaiah Hodgins was a key weapon in a light wide receiver room for Daniel Jones down the stretch in 2022. He was signed from the Buffalo Bills practice squad in the middle of the season. He played eight games for the Giants, recording 351 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Hodgins was a big part of the Giants win over the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round, catching eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
An exclusive rights free agent in the NFL is for any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract, which was the case for Hodgins, who has been in the league for two seasons. Teams with an exclusive right free agent can offer that player the league-minimum, and that player will not be able to negotiate with other teams. That is what the Giants did in this case, and therefore Hodgins is back in the fold for the 2023 season.
While Daniel Jones is set to become a free agent, most expect that he will be back with the team in one way or another in 2022. If the Giants are unable to agree to a long-term contract with Jones, they could use the franchise tag.
Saquon Barkley's free agency could complicate things as well, but the Giants are said to be working on a long-term deal with him as well.
While the Giants wide receiver room was not viewed as a strong group by any means, Hodgins was someone who developed good chemistry with Jones, especially late in the season. On top of re-signing Jones and Saquon Barkley, the Giants will almost certainly look for wide receiver help this offseason, but Hodgins should have a role with the team in 2023.
