It was not the year the New York Giants envisioned, but the G-Men gave their fans something to cheer about on Sunday with a season-finale win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Tyrod Taylor, Saquon Barkley and others looked strong in this one, but a lot of attention late in the game went to veteran wideout Sterling Shepard.
Shepard, with the team since 2016, suited up for his final game with the organization and moved up to No. 5 on the all-time list in receptions, passing Jeremy Shockey. With the game in hand, both Giants players and coaches showed Shep a ton of love and it's a moment Big Blue supporters are going to remember for a while:
Sterling Shepard received an emotional sendoff in his last Giants game
Shepard has been with the Giants since '16 when New York used a second-round pick on the speedster. Shepard was barely used this season and the writing has been on the wall for him in this being his last year in East Rutherford.
In his last action for NY, Shepard caught three balls for 18 yards vs. Philly. On the season, he was limited to 10 receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown. Shepard was a fan favorite for quite some time, but injuries late in his Giants career really had a negative impact on him.
In 2021, Shepard suffered a torn Achilles after appearing in seven games. Then last season, he tore his ACL in the Week 3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The feeling was general manager Joe Schoen wouldn't bring him back, but the two sides were able to agree on a one-year deal for '23.
There were a lot of emotional people in the stands during the win vs. the Eagles, as Shepard has meant so much to this team over the years. That's why everyone on the sidelines raced to give him a hug with only a few minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter. This wasn't the Giants (6-11) sendoff a lot of folks expected for Shepard, but regardless, it was great to see him walk off the field one last time with a smile on his face.