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NFL

Landon Collins signing with Giants in reunion

By
Ryan Dunleavy
Published Oct. 6, 2022
Updated Oct. 6, 2022, 5:30 p.m. ET

Times have changed since Landon Collins’ first stint with the Giants.

Collins left the Giants in 2019 as a defensive captain, three-time Pro Bowler and one of the best safeties in the NFL. He re-signed Wednesday to the practice squad, where he will look to prove he still belongs in the league after a humbling second trip through free agency that included a group workout for the Giants this week.

“He happened to be a guy that had a good workout,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “Get him in, let him learn our system and see how it goes.”

In other words, the Giants added Collins because of what he might have left in the tank. Not because of credentials from the time he was a second-round draft pick in 2015 and NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate during the run to the 2016 playoffs until he landed a then-record for his position six-year, $84 million contract with the Commanders.

The Giants deploy safeties as hybrid linebackers and Collins openly balked at the Commanders’ request to move to linebacker. He ultimately relented and wound up tearing his left Achilles as a linebacker in 2020. He returned to play 13 games last season before a season-ending foot injury.

Landon Collins (21) celebrating with Giants teammates on Oct. 28, 2018.
Landon Collins (21) celebrating with Giants teammates on Oct. 28, 2018. Robert Sabo

“You’ve heard me say before we’re a position-less defense,” defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said, “so we’ll find some place he likes when we get him here, and we’ll go from there.”

Collins is meeting the Giants in London, according to CBS Sports’ initial report of the signing, but not expected to play Sunday. He can be elevated three times on game days before he needs to be signed to the 53-man roster.

It’s a move the Giants have used already this season with several other veterans hungry for any opportunity to get back in the NFL. Collins refused a pay cut before he was cut in March by the Commanders and remained unsigned through 90-man training camp rosters.

After expressing a desire to be a Giant for life, Collins spoke out against former general manager Dave Gettleman many times since leaving East Rutherford, but it appears all that bad blood is gone now that Gettleman is no longer in the building. Also no longer around? All of Collins’ former teammates except Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Nick Gates and Davis Webb (who left and returned).

The Giants defense now is led by third-year pro Xavier McKinney, a Collins doppelganger in that he also is a second-round draft pick out of Alabama playing safety. Whereas Collins’ strength is playing in the box, McKinney is more of a natural deep-field safety.

“It’s great to add to the amount of knowledge he has of the game and his skill set to help contribute to what we want to do,” McKinney said. “It’s going to help with adding to the culture we’ve already built.”

Landon Collins runs with the ball after an interception for the Washington Football Team on Dec. 21, 2021.
Landon Collins runs with the ball after an interception for the Washington Football Team on Dec. 21, 2021. The Washington Post via Getty Images

McKinney and Collins met a few times over the years and talked as recently as a couple weeks ago.

“I take parts of a lot of great safeties that I like to look at,” McKinney said, “and he’s one of those guys I can sit and watch his film and be like, ‘I want to do this better. I’m going to see what he does to affect my game.’ ”