The New York Giants are not off to a good start in training camp. That’s not because of player performances but because it seems that something is wrong with the team’s conditioning – there’s no other way to explain it when a number of players immediately go home with injuries in the first couple days of training camp. Corey Coleman took the spotlight in that regard with an ACL tear that should throw a serious wrench into his season, but he wasn’t the only player to have to leave the field.
The Giants also had a pass rusher leave the field on Friday, particularly Markus Golden, who joins the team this season from the Arizona Cardinals.
Per Giants: Markus Golden had cramps and Brittan Golden has a groin injury. No word on Haley. As for Engram, they’re just managing his workload https://t.co/1ioW3TKj0i
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) July 26, 2019
Cramps might not sound like the most serious issue but it did result in Golden being carted off the field, which means it was a big enough problem to keep Golden from playing at the least. Golden signed for the team in March with a one year contract worth $3.75M, and the outside linebacker is expected to help fill in the hole left by the trade of Olivier Vernon to the Browns.
Golden isn’t the only player to receive an early injury – outside of the aforementioned Coleman, Grant Haley and Brittan Golden also left the field, the former also suffering from a possible cramp. This all comes after Sterling Shepard, who is likely the top receiver on the team following Odell Beckham Jr. being traded to the Browns, fractured his thumb, placing him out of commission for the time being during a time period that should be crucial for the Giants and their preparations for the 2019 season.
The source of the injuries could just be bad luck but it seems that with so many injuries in a short span, the Giants should really take a look at their conditioning program going forward… The last thing the team needs is injuries on the defensive line, an area that’s already dangerously thin.