The New York Giants and Jason Pierre-Paul have agreed on a one-year contract and now the defensive end has returned to the team, but his return to the field remains up in the air. Odell Beckham is healthy enough to start Week 8 while dealing with a hamstring injury, while Victor Cruz remains out and his return is uncertain for the Giants.
Pierre-Paul and the Giants had been working towards a deal this week and according to the New York Daily News, Pierre-Paul is officially back with the Giants. JPP signed a one-year deal with the team and now the next step is getting the defensive end back on the field. Pierre-Paul has been out with a hand injury suffered in a fireworks accident over the summer and he had to have one of his fingers amputated after the accident.
The two sides had been dancing around each other for most of the season, with Pierre-Paul taking to social media to try and show that he was healthy enough to play. Pierre-Paul has been examined by team doctors and now the Giants can put him on track to return at some point this season. According to Pro Football Talk, the Giants got a two-week roster exemption for the defensive end and there is no return date set for Pierre-Paul to get back on the field.
According to a source that spoke with the Daily News, it's likely that Pierre-Paul will return after the Giants have a bye and the next game after that is on November 29 against Washington. The Giants are 4-3 and hoping to make a push to the playoffs out of the struggling NFC East and getting Pierre-Paul back can help the team do that. The Giants play the Buccaneers, Saints and Patriots next on the schedule.
Pierre-Paul had the chance to sign a $14.813 million franchise tender from the Giants, but now things are way past that and his contract likely has some incentives in it. The Giants need to get the pass rush going, as they have just nine sacks this season in seven games played. The team is ranked second from the bottom in total sacks in the NFL this season and Pierre-Paul comes in after putting up 12.5 sacks last season, which were his second highest total of his career.
Odell Beckham was able to escape Week 7 against the Cowboys without aggravating his hamstring injury and he should be fine for Week 8 against the Saints. According to NJ.com, Beckham said that his hamstring has "gotten better" and that he will be a full go for the game against New Orleans. Beckham could be limited in practice if the Giants want to be cautious, but the injury will not keep him sidelined.
Victor Cruz remains on the sidelines while dealing with a calf injury and the wide receiver has not played a snap yet this season. According to Dan Graziano at ESPN, Cruz has "no timetable" to return to the field for the Giants. Cruz said last week that he has not had pain in his calf anymore, but an MRI revealed that there is still some damage. Cruz is coming back from knee surgery and has not played since last season.
