Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard went down to the horrendous MetLife Stadium turf late Monday night. At the end of his team’s 23-16 loss to Dallas, Shepard suffered what appeared to be a non-contact knee injury. It was on the same exact play as Daniel Jones’ late interception, which sealed a victory for the Cowboys.
More information regarding Shepard’s status should come out Tuesday. But ESPN’s Jordan Raanan is already reporting his season is likely coming to an end.
Giants WR Sterling Shepard suffered a serious left knee injury, according to multiple sources. Final diagnosis comes Tuesday but season is likely over.
"It's tough. I'm not even going to lie. It's hard not to get choked up about it," Darius Slayton said of seeing the injury.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 27, 2022
This would be devastating for Shepard and the Giants, who worked out a deal in the offseason for the veteran to return on a reduced salary. Shepard missed 10 games last year and suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 15. He was back and healthy for Weeks 1-3 of this season, but that might be all. Another season-ending injury would likely conclude his Giants playing tenure, especially with a roster house-cleaning imminent next offseason.
If Shepard is, in fact, out for the remainder of the year, how do the Giants respond? The wide receiver room is becoming thinner and thinner. The staff doesn’t trust Kenny Golladay or Kadarius Toney, and Wan’Dale Robinson is still nursing a knee injury. And Darius Slayton hasn’t caught on with this coaching staff despite still being on the roster for whatever reason.
So basically, either this staff starts utilizing Golladay and Toney (when healthy), gives Slayton a shot, or signs a free agent. Because this position group can’t just rely on Richie James and David Sills. Especially in a year when Jones must be put in the best position possible so the staff can make a legitimate evaluation of him.
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