Sterling Shepard went down early in training camp with a fractured thumb, but while some players would take an extended break because of such an injury, Shepard returned to the training field quickly and has been preparing for weeks now to come back and play in the first week of the regular season. Two preseason games have gone by and Shepard still hasn’t appeared in one of them, but that’s not for lack of effort.
In fact, as of Sunday, Shepard has made even further progress towards getting back into playing regularly, stating that there’s no longer pain when the ball hits the thumb that was fractured previously.
“Yeah, I put a little pad underneath, one of the doctors suggested it. It helps tremendously, so that’s what I have been doing and it feels great,” Shepard told the team website.
Shepard also claims that being the number one receiver on the team, which is the new reality for the Giants after moving Beckham Jr. to Cleveland and giving Shepard a four year extension that also raises his pay, isn’t something that will be entirely new to him after playing the role of receiving leader in the late part of last season.
“The back five games of last season I was in the same situation. I felt like I handled it pretty well, so I imagine it being the same way. I’m going to go out and be myself and let everything take of itself,” Shepard added. “We have ballers in the room, and when Golden is back it’s going to be a huge help as well. You see Bennie Fowler and Cody Latimer, they make big plays. I have guys that are helping me out, I’m not the only one out there.”
Shepard will likely be joined by Latimer as one of the other top receivers, with Bennie Fowler fighting with others including Russell Shepard for the next spot in the receiving lineup. It’s still a wide open competition, but according to Sterling Shepard, there’s not much that could stop his week one return.
“I don’t see anything that can hold me back right now, unless something was to happen in practice. I’m on pace.”