Close your eyes and he never left. One of the biggest issues for the NY Giants this season has been the inconsistent play from the offensive line, with injuries continuing to climb for this team. That's why general manager Joe Schoen has been busy working to bring in new bodies.
He's done just that on Tuesday afternoon, with a surprise move being made. According to insider Dan Duggan, the G-Men and Schoen have signed Tyre Phillips off the Eagles practice squad. Yes, the same Phillips who used to play for Big Blue and wasn't brought back this offseason:
A reunion: The Giants are signing OL Tyre Phillips from the Eagles’ practice squad, per source.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) October 17, 2023
It was hard to understand why Phillips was cut after camp and even harder to understand why he wasn’t brought back sooner. But with injuries continuing to mount on the O-line (Josh… pic.twitter.com/bDfH0nDkvk
NY Giants sign Tyre Phillips off the Eagles practice squad
When Phillips was released by the Giants, plenty of Big Blue supporters were quite shocked with the news. Phillips played rather solidly last season, appearing in 12 games and making five starts. He filled in for rookie Evan Neal when he was injured and looked strong.
Shortly after he was released, the Eagles signed him to the practice squad which stung a little bit. Now, though, Phillips is making his way back to East Rutherford and the timing is certainly right for the Giants. On Sunday night, fill-in left tackle Joshua Ezeudu went down with a toe injury.
With Ezeudu's status for Week 7 up in the air, the Giants need all the healthy offensive linemen they can get. Veteran Justin Pugh was moved to LT for the rest of the game against Buffalo, but he's best used on the inside at guard.
Pugh was sent back to the practice squad, but the hope is that Schoen will get things done with him soon as well. The Giants can't afford to have a team sign Pugh off the NY practice squad. For now, though, people can celebrate this Phillips reunion - this feels like great business from Schoen.