There’s been some concerns about the New York Giants having a thin roster at some positions, and that won’t be aided by the team losing three players to the injured reserve following their first preseason game. While the Giants lost the game on the field, these injuries are a larger concern than the result as all of the players involved will miss major time because of them.
The players in question are offensive lineman Kyle Murphy, linebacker T.J. Brunson, and cornerback Joshua Kalu. Murphy is the most recent player to be placed on the IR list, after Kalu and Brunson were placed on it more immediately.
Based on the current rules, the Giants can bring unlimited players back from the IR list but only players that are on the 53 man roster following the September 1st cuts are eligible to return. Judging from this, it looks like these three players are likely out for the year.
Brunson has an ACL tear, which is well known for being a long term injury and is the same one that has kept Saquon Barkley out for the past year. Kalu has a torn pectoral muscle, which isn’t as long term of an injury but can still take months to recover from. Murphy, who was competing for a place on the roster as an offensive lineman, has an ankle injury with a less clear recovery time.
All in all the injuries are a loss to the team’s depth on both sides of the ball and it’s likely we don’t see any of these players back this season. Given that, the Giants may just have to be more active than even earlier predictions expected when it comes to filling out their roster with free agents.