New York Giants: Be cautious with Sterling Shepard return

New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard has already returned to practice after rolling his ankle last week, but his return shouldn’t be rushed.

The overreactions had by reporters, observers and fans of the New York Giants after wide receiver Sterling Shepard was carted off the field during a practice last Wednesday morning were predictable and, after the fact, humorous. Shepard allegedly cried as he assumed the worst.

There were fears he had been downed by a similar injury that ultimately ended Victor Cruz’s stint with the Giants and it was believed a team picked by many to compete for at least a playoff spot had lost a starter indefinitely.

We now know Shepard’s physical setback is more a nuisance than a significant worry. Shepard rolled his ankle, sustained zero long-term damage and did not, in fact, cry on the field or on the cart. The 24-year old was even back on the practice field this past Saturday. His status for the team’s preseason opener versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday is unknown, but it seems unlikely he’ll play.

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It’s worth noting professional athletes often heal faster than us mere mortals, so it isn’t all that shocking to see Shepard jogging during practices less than a week after an MRI confirmed he merely sprained his ankle and endured a bone bruise. He’s young, not yet in his physical prime and probably hungry to prove his toughness to teammates and to coaches.

Shepard should be admired for returning to action, albeit limited, so quickly. But head coach Ben McAdoo and others within the Giants would do well to remain pessimistic about the matter this month. You don’t have to be a doctor or a pro athlete to understand a rolled ankle can be aggravated rather easily. Truth be told, it probably takes at least a week to fully recover from even a minor sprain.

Would Shepard be in the lineup if the regular season started this coming Friday and the contest versus the Steelers mattered beyond getting reps on the field? It’s possible, even if it meant Shepard serving more as a decoy than a weapon for quarterback Eli Manning. There is no more meaningless game on any team’s schedule than its first exhibition showdown of the season, though, so Shepard should probably have a comfortable seat throughout Friday’s affair.

The suggestion the Giants should consider shutting Manning down for all four preseason games arose from the notion Big Blue is a championship-caliber team that could see title hopes vanish all because of an unfortunate event that occurs during an insignificant game. The same goes for Shepard. Yes, Manning still has Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and rookie Evan Engram healthy and in his arsenal today, but that doesn’t erase the fact Shepard should again play a massive role in the New York offense in 2017.

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The Giants will travel to Northeast Ohio to face off with the Cleveland Browns on August 21. There is zero reason, none whatsoever, for Shepard to participate in that walkthrough. He knows the offense. He and Manning have great chemistry. He found the end zone eight times during his rookie campaign, and he finished the season with 65 catches and 683 receiving yards. Making a slow and steady return to game action won’t affect his career one bit.

Let’s not forget, the previously mentioned Beckham missed the first few months of his pro career because of lingering hamstring problems back in the summer and early fall of 2014. You wouldn’t know that today just by watching him practice and play. Wide receivers, particularly those who have proven themselves, are different from other players who require additional practice time and reps ahead of games. Having Shepard at 100 percent for Sept. 10 and Week 1 of the regular season is what’s important.

The Giants will “host” the New York Jets for the alleged “rehearsal” preseason game on Aug. 26, roughly three weeks after Shepard suffered the non-contact injury. Even if he is cleared for action before the final Saturday of the month, that should be the first time he takes the field to face opposition not made up of teammates during drills ran at half-speed.

Next: NFL Power Rankings 2017: Preseason Week 1

It’s impossible for the Giants to be overly cautious regarding any key player this month. New York’s window to win a Super Bowl with Manning on the roster closes a little more with each year, and the Giants have the goods on offense and defense to topple rivals the Dallas Cowboys and enter January atop the division standings. It’s for those reasons August is a minefield for the Giants. Pushing Shepard, or any other starter, for that matter, isn’t worth the risk.

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