ASHBURN, Va. — Landon Collins makes his MetLife Stadium return Sunday. He’ll see old friends and likely receive a warm reception from the Giants crowd, but don’t expect the Pro Bowl safety to be in a joyous mood.

The former Big Blue star never imagined himself wearing a different uniform, saying on multiple occasions he wanted to play his entire career in New York. General manager Dave Gettleman went in a different direction, not even offering Collins a contract this past offseason.

Instead, Collins signed with the Giants’ NFC East rivals, inking a six-year, $84 million contract with $45 million in guaranteed money that made him the highest-paid safety in league history.

Clearly, the 25-year-old Collins, the Giants’ second-round pick in 2015 out of Alabama, will have a lot of different emotions running through him at kickoff.

“The reason why we liked Landon is because he plays highly motivated every Sunday, but I’m sure he will personally have some added incentive,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said Wednesday. “If he has a little bit more [incentive against the Giants], that’s fine.”

Collins, who was not available for comment Wednesday, recently told NJ.com that Gettleman never talked to him during the process and left the job to co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch. Collins described Gettleman as a “liar” who “lied to everybody” and said his animosity is for him, not for the Giants. Over the summer, Collins appeared on NFL Network and said when the two teams meet, he would look for an excuse to run over Gettleman in pre-game warmups. He was warned by the league.

“He’s a motivated player anyway. Anybody who plays their old team has a little bit more gusto about them,” said cornerback Josh Norman, who has his own issues with Gettleman, going back to their days together with the Panthers. “But at the same time, Landon is Landon. He’s going to play his game regardless. I’m looking forward to him having a big game as well.”

Added Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard: “I expect him to be him. That’s going out there and playing hard.”

It has been a tough start for Collins with his new team. The Redskins are off to an 0-3 start, with the three-time Pro Bowler leading them in tackles with 26. The defense has yet to perform, allowing an average of 31.3 points per game. But that can turn around Sunday. Collins has a chance to leave a lasting impression on his old team and get his new one off the schneid.

“We have to certainly be aware of where he is,” Giants coach Pat Shurmur said.