New York Giants

The New York Giants had feared that rookie offensive tackle Evan Neal suffered a devastating knee injury, but they reportedly avoided a worst-case scenario.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Neal will be sidelined for just three-to-four weeks while he recovers from his MCL injury.

Neal suffered the injury in the second quarter of Sunday's 23-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had been blocking on a run play when Jaguars defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris landed on the back of his left leg. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game after being evaluated in the medical tent and carted back to the locker room.

The No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft out of Alabama, Neal has made an immediate impact with the Giants. He anchors an offensive line that paves the way for the top rushing attack in the league, with the team averaging 173.4 yards per game.

Neal wasn't the only Giants player to go down with an injury on Sunday. Guard Ben Bredeson also exited the game in the first half with a knee injury, and tight end Daniel Bellinger was ruled out after being inadvertently poked in the eye in the second quarter. His eye was swollen and bleeding when he left the game.

When Neal left the contest against Jacksonville, Tyre Phillips replaced him at right tackle. Bredeson was replaced by rookie Josh Ezeudu at left guard. There could be some shuffling on the Giants offensive line as the team goes through a week of practice.

New York will be going for its fifth straight win when it travels to face the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday.

Opposing teams are reportedly hopeful that the New York Giants make wide receiver Kadarius Toney available ahead of the Nov. 1 trade deadline.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported teams "wouldn't be surprised" if the Giants look to move on from their oft-injured 2021 first-round pick.

Fowler also noted that rival executives "wouldn't be surprised" if New York explored a move at wide receiver, even if it doesn't involve Toney, because of their lack of depth and production at the position.

Toney has logged just two receptions for zero yards this season. He has not played a snap since Week 2's win over the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring injury that has lingered since the preseason.

The Florida product's NFL career has been riddled with injuries, limiting him to just 12 games played—and limited action at that. In the rare times he's been on the field, Toney has flashed bursts of speed as a dynamic playmaker in the slot and out of the backfield.

The problem is the Giants haven't been able to rely on him to stay healthy, and he's had plenty of red flags behind the scenes.

Perhaps the NFL's most surprising team through the first six weeks, the Giants desperately need help on an offense that's been propped up by the brilliance of Saquon Barkley. A healthy and engaged Toney is the exact type of player who could infuse life into the Giants' receiving corps, but it's possible the situation has reached a point of no return.

Toney and Kenny Golladay have been intermittently hurt or in the doghouse for most of the past two years, and the team may decide to move on and make a blockbuster move at the position elsewhere.

Von Miller is keeping fans updated on Odell Beckham Jr.'s process as the star wide receiver gets closer to returning to the field after tearing his ACL during the Los Angeles Rams' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56.

Appearing on Richard Sherman's podcast, the Buffalo Bills outside linebacker said he has stayed in touch with Beckham and he is "going on tour" with visits to the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Miller, who played with Beckham on the Rams last season, told Sherman (starts at 13:30 mark) he can see the three-time Pro Bowler picking a new team in November or December and that he will "soak in all the love" from interested suitors before deciding where to play.

During an appearance on ESPN Radio's Keyshawn, JWill & Max show last month, Adam Schefter said he doesn't anticipate Beckham playing this season until Thanksgiving.

Assuming Beckham is medically cleared to play around that time, he will have a strong understanding of which teams are true playoff contenders. Clubs looking for a spark at wide receiver will almost certainly be interested in adding him.

The Bills and Rams have long been regarded as potential landing spots for Beckham. NFL Network's Jim Trotter reported last month that Los Angeles still has his name plate on a locker at SoFi Stadium.

That the Saints are potentially getting a visit isn't a total surprise. Beckham was born in Louisiana, graduated high school from Isidore Newman School in New Orleans and played college football at LSU.

It could be difficult for the Saints to appeal to Beckham on a football level. They have lost three of their first four games and have questions at quarterback with Jameis Winston recovering from four fractures in his back that sidelined him against Minnesota last week.

The Buccaneers have been trying to piece together a roster with veteran players for the past two years to maximize the time left with Tom Brady under center. Cole Beasley retired Wednesday, two weeks after signing with Tampa Bay. Julio Jones has already missed two games because of injuries. Chris Godwin missed two games with a hamstring injury after returning this season from a torn ACL.

Mike Evans is the only one of Tampa's top five pass-catchers by yardage who is averaging at least 10 yards per catch.

If the Bucs are going to challenge for a Super Bowl in the NFC, potentially adding a dynamic playmaker like Beckham could be a key piece for them down the stretch.

The New York Giants connection comes after Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported Monday that Beckham was visiting the Giants. However, Jeff Howe of The Athletic later clarified that Beckham was visiting players, not the team itself.

Beckham, of course, started his career with the Giants, spending five years in the Big Apple after being selected 12th in the 2014 NFL draft.

The 29-year-old was at his best for the Rams last season in the playoffs. He had 288 yards and two touchdowns on 21 receptions in four postseason games before injuring his knee in the second quarter of Los Angeles' 23-20 win over Cincinnati. He opened the scoring in the Super Bowl with a first-quarter touchdown.

The New York Giants are working out quarterbacks Jake Fromm and AJ McCarron on Tuesday in light of injuries suffered by starter Daniel Jones (ankle sprain) and backup Tyrod Taylor (concussion) during the team's 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported the news.

The Giants' only other quarterback is Davis Webb, who is on the practice squad.

Fromm, 24, played three games (two starts) for the Giants last year. He completed 27 of 60 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

McCarron was with the Bills in 2018 when Giants head coach Brian Daboll was on the coaching staff, per Garafolo.

The Giants are headed to London for a showdown on Sunday with the Green Bay Packers at 9:30 a.m. ET.

If Jones and Taylor can't go, then Webb will be the presumptive starter. The Giants selected Webb with a third-round pick in the 2017 draft. He's been with the G-Men (2017, 2022), the New York Jets (2018) and Buffalo Bills (2019-21) during his NFL career.

His only regular-season appearance occurred via a pair of kneeldowns to cap the Bills' 45-17 win over the New York Jets last year.

Webb was impressive this preseason, though, completing 60 of 81 passes for 457 yards and three touchdowns.

Fromm did not fare well for the Giants last year, but he wasn't exactly put in a position to succeed. A struggling offensive line led to Fromm being sacked six times.

The Giants were also playing out the string of a lost season that saw them finish 4-13 en route to the second-lowest scoring offense in the NFL.

McCarron last started a game in 2019 with the Houston Texans, going 21 of 36 passing for 225 yards and an interception in a loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Ultimately, the hope is that Jones is healthy enough to play Sunday, although he's been unofficially termed "day-to-day" at this point, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Art Stapleton of The Record speculated that Taylor is "improbable" for Sunday because of his status in concussion protocol.

Webb is on deck, though, and it appears Fromm could be in line for the backup role if Jones and Taylor are out and Big Blue bring the ex-Georgia star back.

The New York Giants are possibly closing in on a reunion with safety Landon Collins.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the Giants are set to host Collins for a meeting Monday, setting the stage for the three-time Pro Bowler to return to the franchise where he spent his first four NFL seasons.

Art Stapleton of The Record reported Collins was already scheduled to visit the Giants before they had several injuries in Sunday's 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears.

Collins spent the previous three seasons with the Washington Commanders before being released in March. It was a bit of a surprise to see him remain on the free-agent market into the regular season. While Collins hasn't performed at a Pro Bowl level since 2018, he was solid last season while being utilized in a hybrid linebacker/safety role.

The Giants would likely look for Collins to play the hybrid role more than the standard safety position he played during his first tenure with the franchise. He was never an elite pass-coverage option even during his prime, and it became obvious late in his Washington tenure he was closer to a liability in that aspect deep down the field.

Using him as a rangy run-stopper at linebacker may be the best way to use his skill set while allowing him to help in coverage rather than being an integral piece protecting the back half of the field.

The Giants are off to a solid 3-1 start this season but currently rank 28th in the NFL in run defense. With a rash of injuries Sunday against Chicago, including to starting strong safety Julian Love, things likely aren't getting better any time soon without an acquisition like Collins.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley looks to have regained the form that saw him dominate the league in his rookie year, and he's happy with his performance so far.

Barkley ranks second in the NFL with 317 rushing yards and two touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per carry. He told reporters Thursday that his play this year is reminiscent of his first season in the league:

"Yeah, not to be arrogant but when you see plays like when I went back and watched film on the touchdown run I had on Monday, making that jump cut inside a hole, making those two guys miss and finding a way to score, those are plays where it just puts a smile on your face when you're like, 'That is the guy I know.'"

After being drafted No. 2 overall in 2018, Barkley immediately emerged as a star in New York's backfield. He totaled 2,028 scrimmage yards and 15 combined touchdowns on his way to being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Barkley's promising career took a turn when he suffered a torn ACL two games into the 2020 season. He played 13 games last year but struggled to produce while he was on the field. He was hobbled with an ankle injury throughout the season and finished with 593 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The 25-year-old revealed that last season he lacked the confidence he has now, as he didn't fully trust his body at the time:

"That is the guy who was always there. He was there last year to be completely honest. I just had a hard time finding a way to bring him out. That is coming with a mental disconnect, loss in confidence and just human nature. It happens. You're going to have your ups and downs in life, but you have to find a way not to waver and trust yourself. Continue to trust the process and find belief in yourself again. I feel like I'm starting to do that."

Barkley is excited to continue to put his skills on display this week when the Giants welcome the Chicago Bears to MetLife Stadium. He recorded 102 yards on 21 carries in a Week 17 loss to Chicago last year, his first 100-yard game since the 2019 season. The Bears were the team he tore his ACL against in 2020, so any matchup against them always means a little extra to him.

"Last year is when I really felt the hurdle everyone wants to talk about, I kind of felt that was the hurdle for me last year," Barkley said. "Obviously we didn't finish the last game last year--we didn't play well at all as a team. For that one, to go back to Chicago, the place where I tore my knee, to have a 100-yard game, obviously it's all about the team, but to look at it from my mindset, to go to that place that kind of put everything in the past for me and be able to go into the offseason healthy.

"I was able to show glimpses of that, especially inside running," he added. "I just wasn't breaking long runs and now that I have that confidence back all that stuff is starting to happen again."