This New York Giants breakout player is making an upcoming offseason decision incredibly more difficult.
The New York Giants fell to the Detroit Lions in overtime on Sunday, losing another close affair against a contending team. The Giants are just 2-10 on the season, but the competitive losses are at least a good sign that they are getting closer, as we discussed last week.
The standout performer in New York's Week 12 defeat was wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, who logged nine catches for 156 yards and a touchdown. On the season overall, Robinson has now hauled in 66 receptions for 794 yards and three scores in what has been, quite easily, the best year of his career.
The problem is that Robinson is headed toward free agency this offseason, and his price keeps skyrocketing.
Robinson is still just 24 years old with plenty of room to grow. While I still don't think he is a serious top-end receiver on a contender, he is obviously a good weapon who could thrive even further in the right system. Clearly, he is already thriving with the Giants.
Jaxson Dart hasn't played the last two weeks, but when Dart has been under center in 2025, it's been clear that Robinson has been his favorite target. The two have developed quite the synergy together, and it would be a shame for Dart to lose that.
But New York is slated to have under $20 million in cap room heading into free agency, and because the Giants have so many needs up and down their roster, they may have a difficult time keeping Robinson.
What makes this decision even tougher is that, even with Robinson on the roster and with Malik Nabers due back from a torn ACL in 2026, New York needs help at wide receiver. The Giants are expected to address that hole in the NFL Draft, but how much progress would they actually make if they draft a wide out and lose Robinson in the process?
Such is life in the NFL, but for a New York team that must prioritize the cultivation and development of Dart over these next several years, it puts the front office in quite the bind.
Robinson is expected to land around $15 million per year on the open market, and it wouldn't be entirely shocking to see a receiver-needy club exceed that. Especially in this current era where pass-catchers get paid through the nose.
Can the Giants afford that? Obviously, keeping Robinson would be ideal, but that would eat up most of their cap space for 2026.
Yes, New York can cut some players in order to create some more room, but it still wouldn't open up a ton of money if the Giants re-signed Robinson.
It's great seeing Robinson finally break out, but with every week he performs at such a high level, his price tag increases that much further.
It's a tough one for Big Blue.