New York Giants Not Sure Jason Pierre-Paul Will Be Healthy Week One
By Josh Hill
The New York Giants are trying to get back to their Super Bowl ways as they’re only a year removed from winning it all. But if they’re going to begin their quest for a title Week 1, they might not have defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul helping them. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, head coach Tom Coughlin says it’s an “aggressive position to take” when saying Pierre-Paul will play Week 1.
Is Tom Coughlin counting on JPP for Week 1? "I'm hoping, but I wouldn't say that. That's an aggressive position to take."
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) June 6, 2013
Pierre-Paul has been recovering from back surgery and as Josh Alper points out, there’s nothing much to gain from rushing Pierre-Paul back for the first week of the season.
The Giants fizzled out last season in trying to defend their Super Bowl title and offseason losses have raised questions about if this team will be able to compete like it used to. Osi Umenyiora is gone and guys like Justin Tuck are aging, so Pierre-Paul is a guy the Giants will want to keep healthy for the future, which makes rushing him back a laughable idea at best.
Like Coughlin said, it’s not impossible to believe that Pierre-Paul will back in time for the start of the season but common sense suggests it’s a foolish idea to pursue.