As the season opener draws closer, the Giants are still mostly in the dark about the status and recovery of star pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul. That picture will become clearer soon.
According to three sources informed of his recovery, JPP's rehab is "progressing very well." It has been about a month and a half since the fireworks incident on July 4 weekend that led to an eventual index finger amputation.
Pierre-Paul and his fiancée hosted a back-to-school event for children Sunday in Sunrise, Florida, then tweeted a joke about missing a finger. He did not speak with reporters afterward. But besides that, he's mostly stayed out of the public eye since his incident. The Giants have not received a definitive update from him, nor have their doctors examined him. Coaches and teammates have texted him well wishes, but the responses have been mostly vague.
That all could change in the next two weeks. JPP's $14.8 million franchise tender hasn't been rescinded by the team and it remains unsigned. As soon as he signs it, he'd be under contract and subject to being placed on a non-football injury list that could lead to him not being paid for the first six weeks of the season. It's among the reasons he hasn't signed his tag.
One potential remedy is to negotiate a deal with the Giants to avoid the NFI list, presumably after they examined him. But time will tell on how both sides handle his return.
As for JPP the player, he's working himself back into shape, cast-free. In fact, he was never in a cast, despite what the first pictures revealed by the New York Daily News seemed to show. He merely had his hand heavily wrapped because he was outside and in the early stages of recovery.
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