All hands on deck for ‘stretch run’

indictment of the job the GM has done).

Also, if Nagy did bench Trubisky out of desperation to win and conviction that Trubisky isn’t the answer, he did so way later in the season than Shurmur benched Eli Manning for Jones.

Of course, Jones has only gone 2-6 since and needs to win more games, but Shurmur was proactive in pulling the plug on a broken situation while Nagy would have waited too long.

Amazingly, as the Giants prepare to play the Bears for the second straight year, they might do so without ever facing Trubisky.

He was hurt in Week 13 last season when the Bears came to MetLife Stadium, and the Giants beat Chicago and the turnover-prone Daniel, 30-27 in overtime.

Now Daniel might end up starting against them Sunday at Soldier Field, as well.

Of course, Jones and the Giants have lost six in a row, and Jones needs to beat the vulnerable Bears on Sunday, or else a defeat will put Gettleman and Shurmur closer to the chopping block and further embolden Jones’ critics.

At least at this juncture, though, the Giants still have some hope that their No. 6 overall rookie QB pick out of Duke is their future franchise leader.

The Bears can’t say the same about Trubisky, whom they traded up to draft second overall in 2017 over Patrick Mahomes (No. 10, Chiefs) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12, Texans). That decision, in hindsight, is difficult to even say out loud.

Pat Shurmur said Monday that if all of the Giants’ offensive linemen got healthy, he’d put this season’s original starting five back together as soon as Sunday’s game in Chicago. That’s not to say Shurmur will have all five available this weekend. Left tackle Nate Solder has been in the concussion protocol and was excused from Monday’s first post-bye week practice due to a family matter.

But Shurmur’s remark was a good reminder that the Giants’ head coach intends to play his best players in his final six games, even if young backups like tackle Nick Gates encouraged him in a Week 10 spot start against the Jets.

Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman can gain something from evaluating the full roster. But they can’t afford to let this six-game losing streak keep ballooning. They need to demonstrate progress.

Or as wide receiver Golden Tate said Monday: “I think we really need a win.”

The theme of Monday at the Giants’ facility, then, was trying to get as many injured players as possible back for the stretch run.

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard, out long-term due to two concussions and a setback, practiced fully. Top corner Janoris Jenkins, who left the Jets game with a concussion, practiced with a yellow non-contact jersey.

Center Jon Halapio (hamstring) and right tackle Mike Remmers (back), who both missed the Jets loss, practiced fully. Tight end Rhett Ellison (concussion) participated in individual drills.

And tight end Evan Engram, while he didn’t practice, had the boot removed from his sprained left foot and expressed optimism he might go in Chicago.

“It was a two-to-four week diagnosis. Two weeks is today. I honestly think I am a little bit ahead of schedule,” Engram said. “I’m doing a lot of stuff in the pool, taking some weight off … I’ve been running and moving around … This week, toward the end of this week, that’s the plan. Just keep building on that.”

“I think as long as I stay prepared mentally and continue to do what I do with my foot, I could be ready to go,” Engram added.

Gates, coming off a strong showing in his first NFL start before the bye, could end up starting at left tackle if Solder doesn’t clear the concussion protocol.

Other than that, Halapio and Remmers appear set to slide right back into their starting spots, where Pulley and Gates played in their stead in Week 10.

It is not clear yet how Shurmur intends to proceed with any defensive personnel changes, but as he likes to say, those decisions will “reveal themselves” as the week proceeds.

The status quo has been unacceptable for the Giants, however. So they are aware they have to turn their play way up.

Engram even went as far as saying: “I think we have to take care of the football offensively, but as a team I think we just have to continue to play with more positive energy.”

That goes along with Shurmur’s “create your own energy” theme at practice, where they continued to practice Monday without music in silence.

The Giants know their play needs to be loud on Sunday, though, because this isn’t just about wins anymore, either.

“Although the record isn’t what we want, there are still jobs that are on the line,” Tate said.

That goes for everyone. Starting with the GM and coach.

A BIG GEORGE SIGHTING

Rookie seventh-round OT George Asafo-Adjei rode the bike on the side of practice and was seen at the facility for the first time since he was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a concussion before the regular season began.

Asafo-Adjei, known as “Big George,” wasn’t comfortable discussing all the details of his situation yet. But the Daily News reported in late October that despite his extended absence, Asafo-Adjei was healthy and looking forward to a long NFL career.

It is unknown where Big George has been exactly. Shurmur called it “his first day back.” Either way, while the Kentucky product isn’t eligible to return from IR this season, he hopes he can make progress with the team’s staff to become a building block.

Wide receiver Russell Shepard (foot) and OLB Kareem Martin (knee), both eligible to return from injured reserve, continued to do work on the side, as well.