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The New York Giants‘ skill players just haven’t been able to avoid the injury bug this summer, and in Sunday night’s preseason finale with the New England Patriots, this trend wasn’t any different.
In what was a rocky first half for an already banged up Giants offense, tight end Evan Engram exited the game with a left calf injury and wide receiver Darius Slayton suffered foot and ankle injuries.
The good news is, that Slayton’s injuries aren’t expected to be serious and the Giants are hopeful that he can return to practice this week, per head coach Joe Judge. However, the severity of Engram’s calf injury is still unknown, and he is headed to see a doctor on Monday, said Judge.
The Giants already have No. 1 wide receiver Kenny Golladay, first-round pick Kadarius Toney, tight end Kyle Rudolph and running back Saquon Barkley all nursing injuries and can ill afford to lose any additional skill players on their offense.
And although it seems like they dodged a bullet with Slayton, Engram’s calf issue is one that could potentially linger into the regular season. This would be less than ideal, especially with the status of Golladay, Toney, Rudolph and Barkley up in the air for Week 1.
With just 13 days left to go until the Giants’ regular season opener against the Denver Broncos, time is running out for their weapons to get healthy.
Big Year for Engram
For Engram, it will be difficult for him to return from a calf injury within the next two weeks, which is tough luck for the fifth-year tight end who is coming off the first season of his career, where he played in all 16 games.
From 2017-19, Engram dealt with a slew of injuries, which saw him miss a total of 14 games. Prior to last season, the 26-year-old had not played in more than 11 games in a single campaign since his rookie year back in 2017.
Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, Engram was turning heads throughout training camp, which was a great sign for the Giants, as their other tight end Kyle Rudolph works his way back from offseason foot surgery. Last night, Engram had three catches for 22 yards, and nearly scored the Giants’ first touchdown on a catch-and-run in the red zone. However, he was taken down just short of the goal line.
If the Giants’ offense is going to take the next step this season, Engram will need to have a big year, which means staying healthy and cutting down on his drops (11 in 2020). He also has a lot riding on the line, as he is playing for his next contract in the NFL.
Unfortunately, he was unable to make it to the regular season without avoiding an injury.
Slayton’s Role
While it is certainly a positive that Slayton’s injuries aren’t considered to be serious, the third-year wide receiver must get off to a fast start this season.
The Giants went out and signed Kenny Golladay to a four-year, $72 million deal and spent their first-round pick on Kadarius Toney, which could affect Slayton’s usage.
But with the latter duo spending the entirety of camp on the shelf, Slayton has a prime opportunity to continue to show that he is a valuable asset on the Giants’ offense. In his first two seasons, the 2019 fifth-round pick out of Auburn caught 98 passes for 1,491 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Both Slayton and Sterling Shepard should be leaned on heavily in the passing game. And in the very least, they will likely form a strong wideout trio once Golladay returns.
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Giants Lose 2 More Key Skill Players in Preseason Finale