No team has been ravaged by injury more than the New York Giants this season — that’s just fact. According to ESPN, they’ve placed an NFL-leading 23 players on injured reserve and have had 68 starts missed due to injury. The injury bug has taken a particular liking towards the receiver position.
On December 8 the team made a move to help combat that, re-signing Travis Toivonen to their practice squad.
A former four-year starter at North Dakota, the 6-foot-4-inch, 212-pound Toivonen finished his collegiate career with 139 catches for 1,719 yards and 13 touchdowns, including seven scores as a senior. Undrafted in 2020, Toivonen recently spend time with the Zappers of the Fan Controlled Football League, which is co-owned by Minnesota Vikings star Dalvin Cook.
Catching passes from the likes of Johnny Manziel — not a typo — Toivonen led the league in 2021 in both receiving yards (204) and receiving touchdowns (five). He was later signed by the Seattle Seahawks in June but ultimately released on August 31 as part of final roster cuts.
Back in East Rutherford for the second time after a near three-week run from October to early November, Toivonen joins a practice squad receiving corps consisting of return specialist Pharoh Cooper and the fan-favorite duo of Alex Bachman and David Sills.
Injury Status: Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard & Kadarius Toney
Despite Toivonen’s re-addition, the Giants are likely hopeful he doesn’t sniff the field for the remainder of the season. The looming availability of Kenny Golladay (ribs) and Sterling Shepard (quad) should certainly help. Both listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the two appear to be trending towards playing in Week 14.
The same unfortunately cannot be said about rookie Kadarius Toney, who has been ruled out due to oblique and quad injuries. Toney’s absence will mark the third consecutive game the Florida product has missed, stripping the Giants of their leading receiver (35 receptions). Not ideal for an offense boasting a quarterback tandem of Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm.
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Shepard Eyeing Return
While Toney remains sidelined, Shepard looks ready to get back in the saddle. Not appearing in a game since Week 8, the slot maven told reporters on December 9 that he’s “feeling a lot better.”
“I’m very optimistic that I’ll be able to be out there this week with the guys and hopefully that’s the case,” Shepard said. “It’s been a bum just sitting on the sideline watching the guys, especially on game day. It already hits me whenever I’ve got to watch them practice and I’m not able to help them out with some of the reps and stuff like that.”
Shepard got off to a scorching hot start this season, totaling 16 receptions for 207 yards over his first two games. However, as it has all too often over his career, injuries began to creep up, with him missing seven of the team’s next 10 games.
“Then on game days, obviously, that’s where you get all the juice and I still have that same fire, that same juice, but I’m not able to go out there and actually perform. It’ll feel good if I’m able to get out there this week and play with the guys,” Shepard said.
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Giants Sign 6-Foot-4 WR From Fan Controlled Football League