Strahan motivates players off the field

There are many reasons why the Giants won Super Bowls following the 2007 and 2011 seasons and why, for much of the past decade, they have been a dreadful team. Failing to replicate and replace their oncefeared pass rush is near the top of the list.

The player who started it off for the past two championships, Michael Strahan, will have his No. 92 retired at halftime of the game against the Eagles on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. It will be a moment to reflect on what was and what, sadly, is now.

“I know he had a 22-sack year, which is a record,’’ Leonard Williams, currently the Giants’ best defensive lineman, said. “I know he had number 92, because when I first got here, I wanted to get 92 and I couldn’t get it. I’m proud of 99 though.

“He’s obviously a legend on and off the field, and I think that’s what makes him such a guy is what he’s done off the field, as well. This past offseason I was in Denver actually for a financial-seminar thing where I’m trying to figure out what to do outside of football, what to do with your money, and he was one of the speakers that was there — on his private jet FaceTiming us. It was a little bit of motivation for everybody, you know? Like, we want to be on a private jet FaceTiming one day, so what can we do after football?’’

➤ It is not looking good for rookie WR Kadarius Toney to play this week. He did not practice on Thursday, sitting out with a quad injury, after not working on Wednesday. The Giants will have a longer practice on Friday, and if Toney cannot get on the field, he will have no chance to play against the Eagles.

➤ The Giants did not play on Thanksgiving, but they nonetheless suffered a loss. They own the Bears’ 2022 first-round draft pick and that pick dropped from No. 7 to No. 8 when the Bears kicked a field goal in the final second to beat the Lions, 16-14.