Getty Cornerback Brian Allen #25 of the Cleveland Browns tries to stop wide receiver David Sills #84 of the New York Giants from making a touchdown reception.
The David Sills train has come to a screeching halt — or at least momentarily. Just two days after making his regular-season NFL debut, the New York Giants opted to move on from the fan-favorite wide receiver. Sills was waived on Tuesday, October 26th amongst a bevy of roster moves, including starting safety Jabrill Peppers being placed on injured reserve and former second-round pick Josh Jackson being let go.
Update: After clearing waivers, the Giants re-signed Sills on Wednesday, adding the wideout to their practice squad.
Short-handed at receiver this past Sunday, Sills was signed off the Giants’ practice squad and proceeded to log 27 offensive snaps in Big Blue’s Week 7 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The West Virginia product was targeted once on the day but failed to haul in a reception.
Sills spent the entirety of the 2020 season on injured reserve after fracturing his right foot in training camp. He bounced back in a major way this preseason, leading all Giants receivers in receptions (seven) and receiving yards (94). He also hauled in an eight-yard touchdown against the Cleveland Browns.
Giants WRs Still Ailing
The Mountaineers’ second all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (35), Sills originally rose to fame as a 13-year old quarterback phenom, verbally committing to play football at USC as a seventh-grader. Since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019, he’s spent time with both the Giants and the Buffalo Bills. Yet, despite readily starring in training camp and in exhibition action, teams have been reluctant to give him a legitimate look in real game action.
Still, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Giants re-added Sills to their practice squad considering the laundry list of injures at the receiver position.
Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney are all in a “race against time” to be ready to go for Monday night’s bout against the Kansas City Chiefs, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
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Dante Pettis Steps Up
Sills wasn’t the only receiver promoted to the team’s 53-man roster against the Panthers. Former second-round pick Dante Pettis also got the call-up, and unlike Sills, played a pivotal part in New York’s victory. The Washington product hauled in each of his five targets on the afternoon for 39 yards and one touchdown.
“I feel like I have the same mindset going into every game. You never know what can happen, it’s football,” Pettis said of mindset entering the contest knowing Shepard would be sidelined. “The same thing as last week, the same thing as the week before. Even when I was on practice squad, you still go into the week thinking, ‘this is the week that I’m going to play, I’m going to show up.’ That’s pretty much it.”
Pettis also tossed one of the more memorable passes in recent Giants memory, connecting with quarterback Daniel Jones on a 16-yard trick play.
The new Helmet Catch. @Daniel_Jones10
(@VISA Play of the Week)
“I thought that was a dime if he would have kept running,” Pettis said laughing. “He made a great catch, so I guess it worked out even better. Yeah, I thought it was a pretty good throw.”
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Giants Reunite With Fan-Favorite David Sills Day After Release [Update]