New York Giants second-year cornerback Sam Beal is itching to prove himself after experiencing a great deal of lost time.
Sam Beal has continued to be an injury-plagued mystery for the New York Giants. Over 15 months after the organization took him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft, the young defensive back has yet to play in a game. Initially, he missed his entire rookie campaign due to a shoulder injury. In September, the Giants placed Beal on injured reserve again, this time with an injury to his hamstring.
Beal thus wasn’t able to practice until this week and won’t be able to play until after Week 9. Will he get any playing time? Will a guy who’s yet to play a preseason nor regular-season snap be able to woo the Giants enough to trust him on the field? These next few weeks will reveal a lot about Beal, and ultimately, he’s looking forward to the opportunity.
“It was a big day to be back running around with my guys,” Beal said at his returning practice on Wednesday, per Ryan Dunleavy of nj.com. “Excited, but I was real anxious because I haven’t out there in a while. You want to see how you are moving, how you really feel. I feel great.”
Beal was slated to compete with rookie cornerback DeAndre Baker for the starting job alongside veteran Janoris Jenkins. Baker thus won the job and has contributed to the team’s struggles on that end of the field. New York’s secondary stands at 31st in the league with 285.0 passing yards allowed-per-game.
It’s unclear what Beal’s role will be after these next few weeks, that’s for sure. However, his health is the main concern right now, as that obviously hasn’t been in tip-top shape since entering the league.
