Prior to the New York Giants‘ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 25-22, starting tight end Evan Engram, suffered a hamstring injury during pre-game warm-ups. The injury forced him out of the game and onto the bench as Rhett Ellison filled in valiantly, racking up 77 receiving yards on four catches.
Hamstring injuries can take weeks to heal. As of now, Engram is scheduled to return on Sunday against the Bears, but if he can’t make it through practice this week they will likely keep him sidelined until he’s 100% healthy.
The New York Giants have another tight end that can step up in Evan Engram absence:
To be frank, Ellison looked better than Engram, surviving blocks and catching passes with ease. The Giants’ former first-round pick has struggled to live up to his pre-draft hype, as he was considered a serious receiver off the line and a true threat down the middle of the field. He has yet to prove his worth in New York, but it could also be a result of the scheme.
Engram struggled with dropped passes last season, recording eight. Now, he was a rookie who was forced into a top-receiving role due to injuries, but the drops surely raised a few red-flags. Fast forward to this season and his woes haven’t halted to a complete stop. The receiving tight end dropped a critical pass on fourth down against the Washington Redkins a few weeks back, completely taking any momentum away from the Giants which helped Washington secure the win with ease.
How has Engram performed so far?
So far in the season, Engram has played in just seven of 11 games, starting only five of them. He has ammased just 257 yards and two touchdowns, far less than the 722 and six scores he recorded last season. It seems as if his role has continued to diminish as head coach Pat Shurmur establishes his offensive style.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Giants try and shop Engram during the offseason. Now, I wouldn’t bet on him leaving the team, but if the Giants can get a good enough deal for him, I wouldn’t sleep on GM Dave Gettlema pulling the trigger.