4 NY Giants fan favorites who won’t be back in 2024
2. WR Sterling Shepard
It's time to say goodbye to Shepard, who issued a heartfelt message to Big Blue Nation on Instagram following the team's last game, which was most likely his final NFL game as well. Shepard has spent his entire professional career with the Giants and has been loved by fans since joining the team in 2016.
In the Giants 27-10 Week 17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, Shepard received a special pre-game introduction. He was the last to run out of the tunnel, where he was greeted with high fives and hugs from his teammates, with Big Blue Nation chanting his name. This was no surprise as the 30-year-old wideout, the longest-tenured Giant, has been a fan favorite among Giants supporters since he first arrived in East Rutherford.
Sterling Shepard, playing in his last game for the Giants, gets introduced last. pic.twitter.com/QZoBAagBUS
— Paul Schwartz (@NYPost_Schwartz) January 7, 2024
Shepard ended his Giants career with 369 catches, 4,077 yards, and 23 TDs, which ranks fifth most for receptions in franchise history. Giants fans will forever remember his contributions on the field and his loyalty to the organization off the field too.
While neither Shepard nor his agents have made an official retirement announcement yet, the free-agent wideout could hit the open market and explore other options this offseason, but that seems unlikely. On the other hand, the Giants will move on from Shepard and continue to rely on other receivers such as Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, and Jalin Hyatt.