Sterling Shepard became the latest member of the New York Giants to suffer a significant injury during Monday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Shepard suffered a torn ACL in the final minutes of the Giants’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night. The left knee issue was first reported to be season-ending by the New York Post and reporting from ESPN categorized it as “serious” prior to head coach Brian Daboll addressing the injury during a virtual media call.
“Feel terrible for him. Big part of our team and we’ll miss him out on the field,” Daboll said on Tuesday.
The Giants wide receiver crumpled to the ground and had to be carted off the field to the locker room. Shepard underwent more testing on Tuesday to get a better picture of the injury and Daboll had said that “it didn’t look good” when he spoke with reporters after the game.
MetLife Stadium turf strikes again…It needs to go!!! 🙏 out to Sterling Shepard. pic.twitter.com/XxVxXEYUvY
— ACL Recovery Club (@ACLrecoveryCLUB) September 27, 2022
It was a heavier blow for the Giants considering the journey that Shepard has had to get back in time for the start of the season. The Giants wideout suffered a torn Achilles tendon in December, but recovered in time for this year.
He had also dealt with concussion issues throughout his career.
The issue takes on a greater significance as well considering how the receiving group has fared so far this season. Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay had been limited in how the Giants used them and they’ve been without injured receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.
Golladay struggled on Monday night, which included a dropped pass. When asked where things fall with Shepard out, Daboll pointed to the guys in the room already.
“The guys that we have,” he said. “Those guys are going to have to work hard, build trust with the quarterback. Hopefully we make some strides in that area.”
The Giants coach did indicate that Robinson was “getting closer” to returning but that he wasn’t out of the woods just yet. It doesn’t appear that the Giants would look outside the organization either to fill the hole left by Shepard.
Shepard had made five catches for 49 yards against the Cowboys and if his season does end early, he would have finished his 2022 campaign with 13 catches for 154 yards and one touchdown.
The injury to Shepard was felt around the Giants locker room after the game, with all of his teammates expressing concern.
“It’s just real tough. Real tough to see that, for sure,” quarterback Daniel Jones said. “A guy who works so hard, he’s battling back from an injury last year. I feel for him as a teammate, as a close friend and yeah, that’s tough to see.”
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For running back Saquon Barkley, he can understand what Shepard was going through.
“I’ve dealt with something like that, you never know until you go in there and get an MRI,” he said. “Always have high prayers whoever it is, and he knows I got his back and we (the Giants) have his back. We appreciate everything he does and energy he brings to the team.”
