We still don’t know exactly how much damage was done to Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand, but as the regular season approaches, details are starting to emerge, each one grimmer than the last. The latest comes from ESPN’s Dan Graziano, who reports that Pierre-Paul is missing more of his hand than the New York Giants were led to believe, and that he could end up missing the 2015 season.
Giants are reportedly worried too much of Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand is missing for him to play in 2015
A new ESPN report indicates that the injury to Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand is far more severe than the Giants expected, and he could end up missing the entire season.
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According to the report, Pierre-Paul is missing part of one of his other fingers, in addition to the index finger originally amputated. He also suffered a fractured thumb and needed skin grafts for the July 4 fireworks accident. Pierre-Paul refused to be seen by the Giants’ medical staff while he recovered in the hospital. He continues to rehab on his own with private doctors and trainers.
The Giants met with Pierre-Paul after the preseason in hopes of getting his franchise tender signed. Talks broke down, however, when it was revealed his hand was worse than the team was led to believe. With the 53-man roster finalized, the Giants no longer have the option of placing Pierre-Paul on the reserve/non-football injury list and getting him back in six weeks. Doing so now would cost him the entire season.
While the severity of Pierre-Paul’s injuries reportedly came as a bit of surprise for the Giants, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports said that the meeting between the two sides was “very positive” and the team was “very enthused” by that it saw of the pass rusher.
Things were very positive between the two sides. The Giants fully expected that the timetable Pierre-Paul’s camp was putting out prior to the meeting would end up being quite ambitious, as was the case. Still, there is significant optimism for his return.
Still, Pierre-Paul’s status with the Giants remains complicated and murky, with no signs of a resolution until at least October when he’s scheduled to be re-evaluated by the team. Even if he did come back this season, there’s no telling how effective he can play with essentially one hand.
Before his accident, JPP was one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league, entering his physical prime at age 26 and about to earn a massive paycheck with New York, whether on the franchise tag or a long-term deal. Now there’s real doubt as to when (or if) he’ll play again. It’s an unfortunate situation for all parties involved.
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