Dr. Mehmet Oz has weighed in on New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard‘s lingering concussion that’s kept him off the field.
New York Giants veteran wideout Sterling Shepard has missed six games this year due to numerous concussions. His most recent head injury has caused him to miss the last five games.
Shepard, who’s in his fourth season (all with the Giants), hasn’t played since Oct. 6 when the Giants lost their Week 5 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
With the injury that just won’t seem to go away, it’s become a discussion of whether Shepard should take some time off or even reconsider playing again. The conversation is growing, as Dr. Mehmet Oz has begun to give his take.
“Sterling Shepard may join other very talented athletes who retire early from their sport because of concussions,” Oz said to TMZ Sports. “Professional athletes feel more pressure to perform physically, but Shepard has a long career ahead of him doing other things, but his mind has to remain intact.
“But I wouldn’t rely on whether you’ve had a concussion or not to determine if you retire. You want to actually look to see if there are cognitive changes — are you thinking differently?
“If Sterling Shepard’s brain is still functioning as a young man’s should, then I’m fine with it. If it’s not, he should be reconsidering returning to the gridiron.”
The Giants haven’t shut Shepard down for the rest of the season, but that may be something they end up doing. A decision on that could be made sooner rather than later.
In his absence, the Giants have fielded the likes of Golden Tate, Darius Slayton, and Cody Latimer. Through four games this season, Shepard has caught 25 balls for 267 yards and one touchdown.
