4 NY Giants injury concerns leading up to training camp
By Zak Musso
The NY Giants are tied with the Jets for the worst record in football at 22-58 over the last five seasons. While a part of the Giants horrendous record is poor play (while for the Jets it’s just all around ineptitude), injuries have plagued the franchise for last half decade.
Whether it was the fireworks incident that claimed part of Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand in 2015, the ankle\quad injuries that ultimately led to the demise of Odell Beckham Jr.’s Giants career, or the countless injuries Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley have suffered in their short NFL careers, the Giants stars just cannot stay away from the injuries.
The present Giants are no different than NY teams of the past. With training camp starting soon, there are multiple Giants injuries to watch over the next six weeks before the games start to matter. The best ability is availability and without star players being on the field, there is no chance for a successful NFL season. Here are the four New York Giants injury concerns to watch as training camp is almost here.
4. WR Sterling Shepard
No player better illustrates the Giants injury issues than Sterling Shepard. Shepard, the longest tenured New York Giant since being drafted in the second round in 2016, has racked up an astonishing 13 different injuries in his seven-year career, including four injuries a season ago.
When on the field, Shepard has proven his worth as a productive receiver, serving as the offense’s No. 1 option since the Giants controversial trade of Beckham Jr. in 2018. Shepard seems to represent the majority of Giants players, productive when on the field, just never healthy enough to be on the field. Last season was his most serious injury as he tore his Achilles in Week 15.
The typical injury recovery time for a torn Achilles is nine months and, since the injury happened in the middle of December 2021, Shepard should be on track to return right around the first game of the season. It would be important for this offense to have Shepard back, he and Jones have elite chemistry, but don’t count on him staying healthy all season as he has proven to have significant durability issues.