New York Giants Rumors: Jason Pierre-Paul May Return For Playoffs
Star defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul could return even sooner than expected. The New York Giants could have him back for the Wildcard Round.
The New York Giants have endured a number of crushing losses during the 2016 NFL regular season. A 10-5 record implies that isn’t necessarily true, but the Giants have lost critical players at multiple positions due to injuries.
Though nothing is imminent, a recent report implies that one of New York’s most valuable players could be back sooner than expected.
Perhaps the most devastating loss was defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. He left the Giants’ Week 14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers with a core injury and underwent successful sports hernia surgery shortly thereafter.
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, there’s an outside chance that Pierre-Paul will be ready to play for the Giants during the Wild Card Round.
"There is a glimmer of hope that New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul could return from his core muscle injury in time for wild-card weekend Jan. 7-8, multiple sources told ESPN.The Giants have even more confidence that he could be available for the divisional round of the playoffs and expect him to contribute if they make an extended postseason run."
That would be an incredible comeback for a player who knows a thing or two about incredible comebacks.
Pierre-Paul played in 12 games during the 2016 regular season, recording 53 tackles and 7.0 sacks. He forced three fumbles, recovered another, and blocked a kick during what was shaping up to be an All-Pro season.
It’d be a borderline miracle for him to be available to play mere weeks after undergoing sports hernia surgery, but it appears as though he’s pushing to do so.
The Giants’ defense has maintained an elite level of play without him, but Pierre-Paul’s presence would undoubtedly help.
New York will play one of four teams during the Wild Card Round: the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, or Seattle Seahawks. That means the Giants’ defense will be forced to contain either Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, or Russell Wilson.
Given the caliber of those four quarterbacks, applying pressure and collapsing the pocket will be a crucial point of emphasis.
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Jason Pierre-Paul shouldn’t come back until he’s physically ready, but even the thought of him playing in the Wild Card Round is uplifting.