Shepard in despite injury
Giants receiver Sterling Shepard was surprised to learn he had been listed as limited in practice earlier this past week. He fully intends to play for a second straight game Monday night against Tampa Bay.
“I didn’t know I was listed as that. I feel pretty good and I’m gonna give it a go this week,” Shepard said Saturday on a Zoom call after practice.
Shepard has been dealing with turf toe since Week 2, missing four games before returning to the lineup for last week’s 22-21 loss to Philadelphia. The $41 million slot receiver had six catches for 59 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter, against the Eagles.
“I’m going to probably have to deal with it, but I’m listening to [the trainers] and doing my recovery,” said Shepard, who also missed six games last season with multiple concussions. “I didn’t know much about [this injury] at all. But anybody that’s had it will tell you it’s nothing to play with.
“If you don’t have your big toe, especially for a skill-position guy, it’s hard to get your job done in any way, shape or form. So it’s one of the more frustrating injuries I’ve had. But I’ve come a long way and I thank the trainers for that.”
The 27-year-old Shepard added that the training staff kept him in shape during the four weeks he was sidelined, with workouts in the pool and on treadmills designed “to not put so much body weight” on his toe.
“This guy is working hard through whatever he’s got,” Giants coach Joe Judge said. “I think there’s not a player in the league who is 100 percent at this point. Everyone is nicked up, everyone is banged up.
“That’s true in our locker room as well as the other locker rooms. One thing I’ll say for Sterling, he’s a tough dude. He’s very strongwilled and he wants to play. He’ll give himself every opportunity to get out there and play.”
Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett called Shepard “a really smart football player,” adding the five-year veteran’s presence “certainly helped our offense” and quarterback Daniel Jones against Philadelphia.
“Sterling is just a good football player. I played against him for a number of years. Real fortunate to get an opportunity to work with him now,” Garrett said. “He’s probably the most accomplished skill player that we’ve had. A veteran guy who’s made a lot of plays in this league during his time with the Giants.
“He has great quickness and change of direction. He has a good feel and instincts for playing. He has savvy. He’s quarterback friendly, and he has playmaking ability. I think we saw all of that in the game the other night, so it’s great to have him back on board.”
The Giants also received good news Saturday regarding wide receiver C.J. Board, who was listed as a full participant in practice after missing the Eagles game with a concussion suffered in Week 6 against Washington.