The defending Super Bowl champions will be without their top WR for at least the next 12 weeks as the Giants announced today that Hakeem Nicks has broke a bone in his foot. He will undergo a surgical procedure tomorrow.
While losing a WR that notched 76 receptions for 1,192 yards and 7 TDs last season is never a good thing, New York 's recent transition to a pass heavy offensive attack may accentuate the problem.
The good news for the Giants is the timing of the injury. Nicks is slated to return towards the end of training camp, perhaps just prior to Week 1 of the regular season. That said, gauging a player's return time is not an exact science.
Giants CB Prince Amukamara suffered the same injury last summer and was unable to return for nearly a month longer than expected.
If Nicks is unable to play when the regular season begins, rookie Rueben Randle may be forced to start in his first true NFL game.
The Giants selected Randle in the second round of last month's NFL Draft.
Brought in to replace a departing Mario Manningham, New York hopes that Randle can complete the three-man rotation that they have found success with at the top of the receiving depth chart.
Now he may need to do more. Though he was expected to win the third receiver spot, he will likely face stiffer competition for a true starting role in Nick's possible absence. The Giants may opt to temporarily promote either Domenik Hixon or Jerrel Jernigan instead.
Even if Nicks does return on time, he will miss the entirety of the preseason and may need a week or so of practice to get his timing back on point.
