Getty Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay sets the record straight on the sideline incident from last Thursday's Week 2 loss to the Washington Football Team.
After sitting out of the entire preseason with a hamstring injury, Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay has gotten off to a slow start in his first campaign in New York.
And during Thursday night’s Week 2 loss to the Washington Football Team, he let his frustrations get the best of him on the sideline. In the fourth quarter of action, Golladay was caught on an NFL Network camera yelling something in the direction of his quarterback Daniel Jones and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
Up until this point, Jones was having a phenomenal game and finished the evening going: 22-of-32 with 249 yards and a touchdown pass, as well as rushing for 95 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
However, Golladay only drew eight targets, catching three passes for a mere 38 yards. And through his first two games as a Giant, Golladay has seven receptions for 102 yards on 14 total targets.
Part of the reason he hasn’t fully hit his stride yet, is due to a lack of chemistry between him and Jones, as he missed a majority of the summer.
Despite most individuals assuming he was barking at Jones on the sideline last week, Golladay set the record straight on Monday after practice.
“Pretty much just me talking to J.G. [Jason Garrett] a little bit,” Golladay told reporters. “That’s two competitive guys right there, and more so just wanting to do anything I can. Not so much, ‘Get me the ball more,’ though.”
As it turns out, Golladay’s tirade was directed towards Garrett, not Jones. Although Garrett has drawn a ton of criticism since taking over as OC in 2020, he actually had one of his better games as a play caller, where his offense scored a total of 29 points.
Along with these 29 points, the Giants had one of Daniel Jones’ rushing touchdowns negated due to a holding call, and Darius Slayton dropped a touchdown pass as well.
Regardless, Garrett hasn’t implemented his No. 1 wideout, Golladay, into the game plan enough through the first two weeks and it shows in his stat line.
“That was literally it right there during the game,” Golladay said. “Me and [Garrett] spoke after the game and it was literally nothing.
“I’m happy with my role,” Golladay said. “I want to be in tough situations. I’m getting put in tough situations and need to make some tough catches. That’s all I can ask for.”
But as Jones and Golladay continue to build each other’s trust, Golladay’s impact on offense should change as the season progresses.
“I’ve never done nothing like that,” Golladay said. “Really, just being passionate and being a competitor. I let the emotions get the best of me.”
Judge, Jones Weigh In
When asked about the Golladay situation, after reporters initially believed it was an issue with Jones, Giants head coach Joe Judge addressed the incident.
“There was no argument on the sideline,” Judge said. “There was no [Golladay] versus Daniel or anything of that nature. In the heat of the moment, you speak very passionately. You kind of speak with some emotion. I speak with emotion on the sideline. There was no blowup or anything that has to be made of it. I understand sometimes the perceptions will be what they are, but there’s no issue there.”
Daniel Jones was also asked about it, but of course, downplayed what went on, as well.
“We’re all good. I love Kenny,” Jones said during his postgame press conference. “You certainly want receivers who want the ball.”
Roster Move
On Tuesday, the Giants terminated tight end Ryan Izzo’s practice squad contract and replaced him with defensive back Steven Parker.
Parker has some familiarity with Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who he played under during his rookie season in 2019, as a member of the Miami Dolphins.
Parker has appeared in 22 regular season games in the NFL, accumulating four starts, which all came on Graham’s defense. He currently holds 24 career tackles and two interceptions.
Last season, Parker played in eight games for the Dallas Cowboys.