Russell Wilson is swiftly establishing a promising connection with tight end Theo Johnson during the New York Giants’ training camp, showcasing a key component for his breakout season. On August 12, during scrimmages against the New York Jets, Wilson frequently looked to Johnson, who is positioning himself as a significant receiving threat for the Giants this year.
The duo completed several notable passes, including a crucial touchdown on a slant route across the middle. This score became a standout highlight for Johnson, emphasizing his rapid progress in the Giants’ offense. Wilson praised Johnson’s development, highlighting the young player’s growing confidence and the clear communication they share on and off the field.
Theo’s doing an unbelievable job of just stepping up, being confident, making plays. His confidence has been continually rising, and his ability is just getting better and better. I think he really knows what I want him to do and he’s practicing it, he’s worked at it, we’re talking about it, we’re working at it at walk-throughs and practice obviously, getting extra time. If you ever notice, Theo gets all this extra work on the side throughout practice and I think that’s valuable work and just the dialogue – I think any time you have a great quarterback-receiver relationship, tight end relationship, it’s communication, it’s vision, it’s feel, and it’s just making plays as well.
—Russell Wilson, Quarterback
This budding rapport signals a promising shift in the Giants’ passing game, relying on Johnson’s improving skills to diversify their offensive options.
Giants Innovate with Creative Plays Featuring Theo Johnson
The Giants are exploring innovative ways to maximize Johnson’s impact by frequently moving him around and incorporating him into varied play designs during practices. One particularly creative play involved Johnson initially blocking before slipping into open space to catch an underhand pass from Wilson, a maneuver referred to as “Definitely a Mike Kafka play” by Giants insiders.
Here is that block and release underhand toss by Russell Wilson to Theo Johnson we referred to in our #Giants Practice #1 recap.
Definitely a Mike Kafka play. pic.twitter.com/63k4YIJfoP
—The Giants Report
Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, likely to oversee play-calling this season, appears to be adapting concepts from his time with the Kansas City Chiefs, where tight end Travis Kelce thrived due to his versatility. Johnson, a former Penn State standout, is being positioned similarly, often moving into the slot to exploit his agility and size.
Observations from analysts like Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports and coverage from Giants Nation Show host Bobby Skinner affirm that the Giants are planning to use Johnson’s abilities in more dynamic roles. This flexibility could considerably enhance the team’s offensive creativity and effectiveness.
Russell Wilson’s Influence Key to Johnson’s Growth and Giants’ Offense
Wilson’s experience and preference for involving tight ends heavily in the passing game make him instrumental to Johnson’s continued rise. Throughout his career, Wilson has built successful connections with elite tight ends such as Jimmy Graham, Greg Dulcich, and Pat Freiermuth, all of whom benefited from his precise targeting and leadership.
Johnson’s rookie season showed flashes of potential, having been targeted only 43 times after being selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite the limited opportunities, he demonstrated a unique skill set that suits the Giants’ need for explosive plays in the intermediate field.
With Malik Nabers sidelined by a toe injury, Johnson’s expanding role becomes even more crucial. While Wilson and Nabers are expected to form a dynamic duo upon the latter’s return, the Giants require a dependable underneath threat, a role Johnson appears well-prepared to fill.
This emerging connection between Wilson and Johnson could not only boost the Giants’ offense this season but also mark the start of a lasting partnership that revitalizes their receiving corps.