Trade deadline opened Landon Collins' eyes to realization that he may not be back next year
Landon Collins of the Giants celebrates after breaking up a pass in the third quarter against the Redskins at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 28. Credit: Mike Stobe
Landon Collins was on the field with the Giants at practice and in the locker room afterward on Tuesday. For a while last week, he wasn’t sure if that was going to be the case.
Collins, a Pro Bowl safety in his fourth season with the team, was one of the players whose name popped up frequently in the days and hours before the NFL’s trade deadline last week.
“It was stressful, honestly,” he said. “Thinking about everything, if I would have to pack up and go. It was very stressful.”
Collins said he is glad to remain with the Giants and “be with my boys,” but the entire situation has opened his eyes to a reality. For most of his career, Collins has had no reason to even consider that he might not be part of the Giants’ future plans. Even with bad teams, he always felt that he would be here to see the success and be part of the team’s blueprint for that success.
Now he knows that may not be the case. And it’s a realization that comes just four months away from his pending free agency.
Collins spoke in the past about being an all-time great for the Giants, wanting to be in the same class as Lawrence Taylor and Michael Strahan.
“That’s always been a dream of mine,” Collins said. “But it’s a business.”
Collins said no one has spoken to him about how close he was to being dealt last week.
“I wasn’t looking for nothing,” he said. “Anything can go at that moment. Especially when we’re having the season we’re having.”
At this point, Collins isn’t even sure if he’ll be back with the Giants next season.
“We’ll see,” Collins said. “We still have to go through negotiations and stuff. We haven’t even started that yet. So we have to see.”
And for the first time, Collins is seeing it through a new reality.
Notes & quotes: Pat Shurmur left open the possibility that Jamon Brown, claimed off waivers from the Rams last week and participating Tuesday in his first Giants practice, could start at guard Monday against the 49ers. “He’s a good-looking guy,” Shurmur said. “He certainly looks the part in some of the reps I saw today. We’ll get him up to speed quickly.” … The Giants activated rookie DT R.J. McIntosh from the non-football illness list and waived KR/PR Quadree Henderson to make room on their 53-man roster … T Chad Wheeler (ankle) and LB Alec Ogletree (hamstring) practiced and are expected to be healthy enough to play Monday … All of the Giants' players returned to the team after the bye week. That may seem insignificant, but a year ago three players did not report back for the first post-bye practice, and CB Janoris Jenkins was suspended.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
