When wide receiver Sterling Shepard suffered a fractured thumb on the first day of training camp, panic gripped the New York Giants and their fan base, who were still reeling from the trade of Odell Beckham Jr.
All along, Shepard and the Giants considered the injury minor. In fact, he returned to practice in short order much to the dismay of critics, who felt it was too big of a gamble with no real gain.
As it turns out however, the entire process went exactly according to plan and not only has Shepard shed his protective splint, he now considers himself 100 percent healthy and ready to go against the Dallas Cowboys.
“To be honest, this feels a lot better than the past few times that I’ve broken it. This is probably one of the best breaks that I’ve experienced,” Shepard told reporters on Monday, adding that he barely even feels it anymore.
Still, having missed out on preseason game action, Shepard is bound to experience a little rust in Week 1, but feels he’ll shake it off quickly.
“I think, whether you have guys playing in the preseason, it’s a little different in the regular season, so we’ll get adjusted quickly. It’s been looking good at practice, so I feel like what you do at practice translates well to the field if you’re doing things the right way,” Shepard said.
With veteran Golden Tate suspended for the first four game of the season, the Giants offense will rely heavily upon the now-healthy Shepard.
