New York Giants: Sterling Shepard Avoids Major Injury

After being carted off the practice field during Wednesday’s practice, reports now say Big Blue wide receiver Sterling Shepard has avoided a major injury.

NJ.com and other outlets are reporting that New York Giants second-year wide out Sterling Shepard was carted off the field during 1-on-1 drills on Wednesday. While the injury cart is never a good sign, reports now indicate that Shepard has suffered a low ankle sprain.

With the timing of the injury, there should be ample time for Shepard to heal before the start of the regular season. According to NJ.com, the low ankle sprain has a shorter recovery time than the more severe high ankle sprain.

"Afterwards, head coach Ben McAdoo offered a blunt and neutral assessment. “We have to practice football to get better at football. When someone goes down, the next man stands up and we work as hard as we can behind the scenes to get the player healthy.”"

New York Giants

In his absence, other players needed to step up. Holdovers from last year’s roster who did not see much playing time, such as Tavarres King, Roger Lewis, and Darius Powe, all contributed with Shepard sidelined. According to Giants.com’s Dan Salomone, Darius Powe was one player who stood out on Wednesday.

"Salomone noted, “Darius Powe made the most of it, hauling in a handful of catches throughout the day.” He included that even before Shepard’s injury, Powe has been an active part of the offense, contributing to the passing attack every day."

Lewis and King both showed encouraging signs for the New York Giants last year. Lewis only caught seven passes last year and two of them went for touchdowns. King came on late in the season, including a 41-yard touchdown catch against the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round.

Shepard’s injury will hopefully be only a minor setback in the overall growth of the offense. Fortunately for the New York Giants, a plethora of talented players stand ready to make the most of the opportunity.