Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul Undergoes Back Surgery

As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, New York Giants stud defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul went under the knife on Tuesday. Pierre-Paul underwent a reportedly successful surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back, and the reported timetable for his recovery (by the team) was approximately 12 weeks.

In a statement released by the team, Pierre-Paul was quoted as saying:

"“My back has been bothering me for a while, and even last season I played through some back issues,”"

This seems to shed some light on a steep drop in production from the 24-year-old Pierre Paul, as he went from a blistering 16.5 sacks in 2011 to just 6.5 in 2012. This was a major issue for the pass-rush specialist, as he’s been referred to as a “physical freak” with his high-end speed and athleticism from the edge, and while he started in the 2013 Pro Bowl, it was clear that he wasn’t the same impact player from the previous year.

The 12-week timetable would seemingly allow Pierre-Paul to return for the beginning of the season, as the Giants kick off their campaign with a September 8th road game against Dallas on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. It will be very interesting to see whether he is at 100% speed in time to gear up for the preseason, but all reports indicate that the Giants are optimistic about his arrival in time for Week 1.

As the Giants come off of a 9-7 season that was seen by many as a disappointment, it will be crucial to have their #1 impact player on the defensive end at full strength. Stay tuned for any updates on the situation as they become available.