The New York Giants have dealt with numerous injuries in 2019, and so has their primary receiver, Sterling Shepard. Shepard broke his thumb in training camp, then hurried to get healthy for the regular season. He was successful but has unfortunately been hit with even worse injury luck during the season.
In week one, Shepard was banged up while throwing a block on a run play. He stayed in the game but it was later discovered that he had suffered a concussion. Sterling missed week two and was back in the lineup for week three.
Sterling Shepard was not back in the lineup for long, unfortunately. In the Giants’ week five matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Shepard suffered his second concussion of the season. That is two concussions in five weeks. Five weeks later, Shepard is still not back in the lineup. It is time for the Giants to consider putting Sterling on injured reserve and preserving him for next season.
Concussions Piling Up
This is not Sterling Shepard’s first season having a concussion. Sterling reportedly sustained two concussions in high school (according to sportsinjurypredictor.com). Then, in college at Oklahoma, Shepard dealt with another concussion that caused him to miss one game in 2013.
In 2017, Shepard was concussion-free, but he might have been dealing with the aftermath of his previous concussions when he missed two games with migraines. Now, in 2018, Sterling has suffered two more concussions and has missed six games with the potential to miss the rest of the season.
Regardless of his football status, the Giants should consider putting Sterling Shepard on season-ending injured reserve. This is now five concussions sustained in Sterling Shepard’s lifetime, a dangerous amount for anyone. Especially when considering the long-term effects that concussions can have on the brain.
A Father And A Husband First
Sterling Shepard is a football player. But Sterling Shepard is not just a football player. Sterling Shepard is a husband to his beautiful wife, Chanel, that he tied the knot with last year. Last year, Sterling also became a father.
In August of 2018, Chanel gave birth to her and Sterling’s first daughter, Cali Clay. They are now expecting their second child. Sterling Shepard, as Russell Shepard pointed out, has to do what is best for him and his family, not for the football team.
At 25 years-old, Sterling is too young to be jeopardizing his future for a 2-7 football team. The Giants need to do him a favor and shut him down for the season. By placing Sterling Shepard on injured reserve, the Giants would be ensuring that the young man will stay out of harm’s way until the end of the year. From then, it will be Sterling’s decision to make on when and if he will return to the field.