Report: Jason Pierre-Paul will play against Tampa Bay

According to reports, Jason Pierre-Paul is expected to return to the New York Giants on Sunday.

The long road back to the NFL after unquestionable doubt and circumstance is coming to an end for Jason Pierre-Paul.

After a devastating fireworks accident on the Fourth of July Weekend, it appeared that Pierre-Paul’s future was in jeopardy when he lost part of his fingers. The severity wasn’t known right away and Pierre-Paul and the Giants were at a detente in the immediate aftermath.

Eventually they did meet, and recently he re-signed with the New York Giants for the rest of the season. Now, in the middle of a battle for the division crowd, it appears the Giants are going to get their pass rusher back before Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

According to Ian Rapoport, the Giants defense has been told to expect to have Pierre-Paul back on the field tomorrow.

It’s certainly a big addition to a Giants defense that has struggled to get after opposing quarterbacks all season long. If Pierre-Paul does indeed play, his job will solely be to get after the quarterback according to Peter Schrager.

The official announcement is expected to come down later, but this is great news for the Giants. Without a consistent pass rush, opposing quarterbacks have had all day to throw on them. With a pass rush, they might be able to cut down on points scored against them and make the job easier on their offense.

Jason Pierre-Paul has been working hard to get back on the field for the Giants. He’s obviously shown enough, where the team feels confident in his ability to help them. Originally when he re-signed, he wasn’t expected to return until next week. However, it looks like they want to get him reps right away so he can be ready for the stretch run of the season.

Now, it’s up to him go out and make an impact as the Giants look to become 2015 NFC East Champions.

[UPDATE:] Rapoport is reporting that Pierre-Paul will play.