New York Giants: Freddie Kitchens not worried about Evan Engram

Tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens said the New York Giants won’t “live in fear” regarding Evan Engram’s injury history.

Freddie Kitchens is one of the new additions to the New York Giants this season. Kitchens spent the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, first as an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, and then last year as the head coach. He was fired after a 6-10 season and will take over as Tight Ends coach in New York.

Kitchens experience will be a benefit to head coach Joe Judge. But what Kitchens will ultimately be judged on is if he maximizes Evan Engram’s potential.

There’s no denying that Engram is one of the most athletic and dynamic tight ends in the league. His issue has been being able to stay on the field, as he’s missed 14 games in his three-year career.

On Sunday, Kitchens was asked what can he do to help keep Engram healthy.

“Well, football is a physical game. It’s a physical game played by physical people,” Kitchens told reporters. “It’s a tough game played by tough people. Evan’s in the mindset of he’s a tough player, physical player. Evan wants to get better each and every day in all aspects of his game, and that’s what we’re going to continue to work on. We’re not going to live in fear.”

Injuries can happen at any time to any player. Kitchens, Engram, and the Giants shouldn’t be living in fear of injuries. That mindset can sometimes backfire and lead to injuries when a player is hesitant to go full-speed. Kitchens was asked if he was going to try and keep Engram’s injury history in mind this season.

“I would say what we’re going to do every day is we’re going to put Evan in situations that’s best for the team and organize it that way,” Kitchens explained. “Jason (Garrett) has done a good job of that. We’re going to continue to do a good job of putting him in a position to help the team win because ultimately, that’s all it’s about.”

Jason Garrett’s offenses traditionally feature tight ends, especially in the red zone. It could be a match made in heaven for the fourth-year tight end if he can manage to play in all 16 games. With a full season under Garrett and Kitchens, he should set career highs in every receiving category.

But again, staying on the field is the main concern with Engram.