The New York Giants probably haven’t had the very worst luck in the league this season, but it’s also hard to say that they haven’t been unlucky at all in the injuries department. The team lost Saquon Barkley for four to eight weeks in the game before last, and in their most recent outing, the Giants managed to lose a less well known but still important player, this time on defense.
The player in question is Ryan Connelly, one of the team’s starters at the linebacker position after being taken int he fifth round. But after some hype in the offseason, Connelly has performed better than a fifth round player, getting to the 20 tackle mark through the first games of the season and registering not just one but two interceptions so far in addition to a sack and a pair of pass deflections.
Now, however, Connelly is out for the season, his good performances cut short by a second half injury against the Redskins which has now been confirmed to be an ACL tear. Aside from the obvious reason, which is that the Giants lost some good production with this injury, there’s another reason why Giants fans should possibly be worried.
The injury comes while Alec Ogletree and Tae Davis are battling a hamstring injury and concussion respectively, putting the Giants at a thin level of depth for this part of the roster.
“It’s unfortunate, but he’s got a really bright future and he’ll come back from this. Part of being a pro sometimes is coming back from injury. If he approaches this the way he has approached the game, he’ll be back here full strength,” Pat Shurmur said about the injury.
The Giants have managed to handle their roster problems pretty well this season so far, whether that’s Golden Tate’s suspension or Saquon Barkley’s injury which will keep him out until midseason most likely. Hopefully, that trend continues and the team can continue to perform at the linebacker position while Connelly works on making a full recovery.