As if losing star running back Saquon Barkley wasn’t enough for the New York Giants, they will also likely be without wide receiver Sterling Shepard for the next few weeks. After Shepherd’s foot was caught underneath a defender on a tackle, he limped off the field toward the sidelines. He returned shortly after but wasn’t able to continue and was removed from the contest.
Shepard picked up a toe injury designation, but the injury is thought to be more severe. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Shep is expected to miss multiple games with turf toe.
Sterling Shepard expected to miss multiple games with turf toe, per @RapSheet
Of all things to injure, it’s his toe. #TogetherBlue
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) September 21, 2020
The recovery time for this injury can take multiple weeks to heal, while a grade-1 strain should only take a few days. It seemed to be severe enough that he could miss the next two weeks of football. That would leave Golden Tate and Darius Slayton as the top pass-catchers.
This will open the door for Evan Engram and CJ Board to receive more targets in the passing game, and it could indicate a signing as well. The Giants are already bringing in running back Devonta Freeman for a visit, but they could also look in the direction of Corey Coleman.
Coleman looked good during camp but ultimately was cut in favor of Board and Damian Ratley, who picked up three receptions for 32 yards against the Bears on Sunday (Board).
There are plenty of directions the Giants could go with this unfortunate scenario, but they will have to keep fighting on.
Against the Bears, the defense allowed 17 points in the first half but kept Chicago scoreless in the second half. The offense simply wasn’t able to get going, which hurt their chances at victory. It came down to the wire, as the Giants were stopped at Chicago’s 10-yard line with one play left in the game. Hopefully, with San Francisco dealing with a bevy of injuries of their own, they can take advantage of a struggling team.