NEW YORK _ Giants receiver Sterling Shepard will be out "a while" with a concussion, according to a source.
Shepard sustained a second concussion in five weeks during Sunday's 28-10 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Shepard was removed from the game with four minutes left in the third quarter, in fact, by the NFL's concussion spotter after falling hard to the turf trying to catch a deep pass down the left sideline.
Shepard returned to the game on the Giants' next drive early in the fourth quarter, but then did not play on their final four-play drive with under four minutes to go in the game.
He then displayed concussion symptoms on Monday morning when he reported to the Giants' facility in preparation for the Giants (2-3) visiting the New England Patriots (5-0) on Thursday Night Football.
In Week 1, Shepard was knocked woozy making a block at Dallas but surprisingly remained in the game. Afterwards he was diagnosed with a concussion and sat out a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He then cleared the protocol and cleared it to play in Week 3 at Tampa, Week 4 vs. Washington and on Sunday against the Vikings.
The NFL had reviewed the circumstances surrounding Shepard remaining in the Cowboys game and preliminary findings had been that spotters in the booth _ and NFL and Giants medical staff on the sideline _ saw nothing to warrant enacting protocol to remove Shepard from the field.
That was difficult to believe, though. Shepard had dropped hard to the ground, as if he'd lost consciousness in the third quarter, after blocking Cowboys corner Anthony Brown. And offensive linemen Kevin Zeitler and Jon Halapio could be seen pointing out Shepard while he's down on the ground.
Shepard's absence will mean Golden Tate plays a bigger role after only playing in three receiver sets as a rotational add-in during his Giants' Week 5 debut, back from a four-game PED suspension.
The Giants did not practice on Monday but they did put out a projected injury report.
Tight end Evan Engram (knee) and Wayne Gallman (concussion) were also projected as did not participate.
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Limited projections were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), edge Lorenzo Carter (neck), LB Alec Ogletree (hamstring), LT Nate Solder (ankle) and LB Josiah Tauaefa (knee).
LB Tae Davis has cleared the concussion protocol.
