New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard will not be cleared for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, sources told ESPN. Even next week is in doubt after he suffered a pair of concussions in a four-week span.
The injury news isn’t all bad for the Giants this week. They are likely to get running backs Saquon Barkley (ankle) and Wayne Gallman (concussion) and tight end Evan Engram (knee) back against the Cardinals.
Shepard is dealing with a concussion where symptoms surfaced after a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. It was the second time in four weeks that he had a concussion reveal itself in this manner.
It’s not Shepard’s first concussion either. He is believed to have suffered one at Oklahoma and a pair in high school, per reports.
This was always the likely course of action given Shepard’s history. He was expected to be out a while when this latest concussion was reported. It is currently less than two weeks since the symptoms surfaced.
The Giants’ second-leading receiver with 25 catches for 267 yards and a touchdown practiced this week in a non-contact jersey. He was running well and looked like his normal self. But both player and team know they need to err on the side of caution given his history.
Shepard, 26, signed a four-year, $41 million extension with the Giants this offseason.