We’re counting down the days until the NFL season kicks off, and with 90 days remaining, we’re looking at a 2016 bounce back candidate in Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants.
It was obviously a tough year for my fellow University of South Florida alumni Jason Pierre-Paul. The fireworks accident that occurred on July 4th, 2015 could have derailed his career completely. In a must-read article by Jason Buckland of SI.com, he details that day that cost Pierre-Paul half of his season, and some of his typical productivity upon his return.
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Although he was only able to record one sack in the eight games he played, Pierre-Paul still got consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He was able to do this with a giant club cast on his hand, and subpar talent around him on the Giants defense. This upcoming 2016 season will be different. He told Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, “I’m not going to wear a club next year. My hand is perfectly fine.” You can see Pierre-Paul in action sans club below.
This is outstanding news for Pierre-Paul and Giants fans alike. On March 8th of this year, the Giants and Pierre-Paul came to an agreement on one year deal for 10 million. This certainly adds more fuel to his fire, as the 27-year-old has the 2016 season to prove he is healthy again, and worthy of a huge contract.
Speaking of huge contracts, the New York Giants doled out a bunch of them this off-season. In particular, they signed two studs to help boost their defensive line in Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison that will give Pierre-Paul more opportunities to produce.
Vernon will start at right defensive end, and allow Pierre-Paul to primarily play as a left defensive end. Since he doesn’t have to put his injured right hand in the ground, this should allow for a quicker burst and more sack opportunities. Harrison is a monster in the run game that will help shed some of the blockers for the rest of the defensive line, and should increase his Pierre-Paul’s tackle total.
When healthy and with talent around him, there is no doubt that Pierre-Paul is an elite pass rusher. In 2011 he was able to amass 16.5 sacks, and in 2014 he was able to total 12.5 sacks. This is pretty incredible considering how raw he was when entered the league. Many people forget that he only played one year of Division I football at USF before entering the NFL Draft. He is just hitting his prime now.
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After the 2016 season is all said and done, I expect the firework jokes to be a distant memory. “JPP” is one of the most athletic and talented defenders in all of the NFL. With the Giants improvements on defense, and his right hand much better, Pierre-Paul will be able to prove to all the critics that he is back to his old self. I wouldn’t be surprised at a comeback player of the year award, and a Pro-Bowl appearance.