Safety Landon Collins reportedly signs with Giants four years after leaving for Washington

Landon Collins is coming back to New York.

The veteran safety told CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson he’s signing with the New York Giants after visiting with the team this week and will travel with them to London. Collins, 28, will join the Giants’ practice squad, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.

It will be quite the homecoming for Collins, who the Giants drafted 33rd overall out of Alabama in 2015. Collins was a three-time Pro Bowler from 2016-2018, made the All-Pro first team in 2016 and finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting that year, too.

But after four years in New York, Collins signed a lucrative six-year, $84 million contract with the now-Washington Commanders that included $44.5 million in guaranteed money in 2019. The Giants were reportedly uninterested in competing with that offer and let the star safety go to their NFC East rival.

Collins initially thrived in Washington with a 117-tackle season his first year on the team, but missed games in each of the next two seasons due to various injuries. He tore his Achilles in Week 7 of the 2020 season and hurt his foot in 2021. The Commanders released him this offseason.

It’s unclear if Collins will play in London against the Green Bay Packers despite the Giants’ actual need for safety help following starter Julian Love’s concussion in Week 4. But his return gives the Giants’ defense some added juice in Wink Martindale’s system. Collins considers himself “a hybrid” safety akin to players like Derwin James or Justin Simmons rather than just a bigger linebacker who can cover. However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday that the Giants plan to use Collins as a linebacker.

Landon Collins is returning to the Giants. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)