Getty

Gunner Olszewski, New England Patriots All-Pro in 2020, may be out for the 2026 season with a possible Achilles tear.

Former New England Patriots All-Pro Gunner Olszewski suffered a frightening injury during organized team activities when he was removed from the field by cart Friday after appearing to sustain a sudden, non-contact injury. The veteran’s departure immediately raised concerns about his health and availability as he attempts to secure a role with his latest NFL team.

While teams often downplay injuries during spring practices until further evaluation is completed, the sight of Olszewski leaving the field on a cart quickly sparked panic among fans and observers awaiting an official update on his condition.

Gunner Olszewski Injury: What Happened at Giants OTAs

Olszewski went down while coming off the line on a route during the New York Giants‘ Friday OTA session, according to The Athletic‘s Dan Duggan. He immediately grabbed at his right lower leg and showed “significant frustration.” Teammates dropped to one knee around him — never a good sign, especially at a non-contact practice — and the cart arrived quickly.

There has been no official word from the Giants on the nature or severity of the injury. Any determination on Olszewski’s status will wait for a full medical evaluation, according to an NBC Sports report.

“Giants fear that WR Gunner Olszewski, who was carted off the practice field today, tore his Achilles,” wrote ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter on Friday. “He will undergo additional testing to confirm the injury.”

The timing stacks on an already difficult spring for New York. The Giants lost defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris to an Achilles tear earlier this month, and star wide receiver Malik Nabers remains in ACL rehabilitation. Losing Olszewski — the team’s established lead returner — adds another layer of uncertainty heading into training camp.

Gunner Olszewski: From Bemidji State to Patriots All-Pro

The 29-year-old Olszewski arrived in the NFL the hard way. Signed by legendary Patriots head coach Bill Belichick as an undrafted free agent out of tiny Bemidji State in Minnesota back in 2019, he earned a spot on the New England Patriots roster after impressing Belichick during a rookie minicamp tryout. Most players with that biography never see a regular-season field.

Olszewski was not most players.

In his second season in New England, he emerged as one of the most dangerous return specialists in football. He averaged 17.3 yards per punt return in 2020, tops in the NFL, and returned one for a score, earning first-team All-Pro recognition. He added 18 kick returns for 418 yards, 23.2 yards per attempt, that same year.

New England declined to tender him as a restricted free agent, and Olszewski signed a two-year, $4.2 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh eventually released him and he landed in New York, working his way from the Giants’ practice squad in 2023 onto the active roster before re-signing for 2026.

After missing nearly all of 2024 with a groin injury suffered in pregame warmups, he returned last season to play all 16 games and catching 10 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, also averaging 26.2 yards on 26 kick returns and 9.0 yards on 24 punt returns. He signed another one-year deal with New York in March.

Over six NFL seasons, Olszewski has 1,386 career punt return yards — including two touchdowns — and 1,586 on kick returns.