New York Giants

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll confirmed wide receiver Sterling Shepard suffered a torn ACL in Monday's 23-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

It brings a premature end to his 2022 NFL season.

This is the second major injury for Shepard in as many years. He tore his Achilles tendon last December.

For the Giants, his absence puts serious strain on a receiving corps that already had issues to begin with. Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney continue to be anonymous for the most part, and second-round draft pick Wan'Dale Robinson missed the last two games because of a knee injury.

Daboll told reporters that the Giants have to lean on the "guys that we have" without Shepard.

"Those guys are going to have to work hard, build trust with the quarterback," he said. "Hopefully we make some strides in that area."

Shepard, meanwhile, will head into free agency in 2023 with obvious questions over how much the Achilles and ACL will impact his performance.

The 29-year-old bounced back from the Achilles tear reasonably well. Through three games, he had 13 receptions for 154 yards and one touchdown, with his 51.3 receiving yards per game on par with his career average (53.8).

Shepard took a pay cut from the Giants to secure his roster spot, and the New York Post's Paul Schwartz noted at the time he "did not have many options." It will be the same story next spring since the 5'10" pass-catcher will likely have to settle for a short-term, prove-it deal when the time comes to sign a new contract.

Odell Beckham Jr. questioned why all NFL stadiums don't feature grass fields after former New York Giants teammate Sterling Shepard suffered a torn ACL on the MetLife Stadium turf on Monday night.

Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney also ripped the turf after Shepard's injury (Warning: NSFW language):

Beckham is currently a free agent while recovering from a torn ACL suffered on a non-contact play during Super Bowl LVI, which was played on the turf at SoFi Stadium in February.

After OBJ's injury, several NFL players made posts on social media calling for the end of turf fields in favor of natural grass playing surfaces.

Entering the 2022 season, there were 17 grass fields and 13 turf fields in the NFL, per Stadiums of Pro Football. It's 30 fields for 32 teams because the Giants and Jets as well as the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams share stadiums.

Shepard suffered a torn Achilles last December but recovered in time for the start of the new season.

"It's tough. I'm not even going to lie. It's hard not to get choked up about it," Giants teammate Darius Slayton told reporters. "He's been here since the first day I got drafted. He's done a lot for me as a young guy. And then seeing him come off the Achilles last year and rehab all year, and how hard he fought to get back out there, it's definitely hard to see."

The 29-year-old University of Oklahoma alum was the Giants' leading receiver through three games, tallying 154 yards and one touchdown on 13 catches.

New York has been operating without a true No. 1 receiver so far this season. Slayton, Richie James, Wan'Dale Robinson, Toney and Kenny Golladay will compete for additional targets if Shepard is out for the remainder of the year.

The Giants are back in action Sunday when they host the Chicago Bears at MetLife Stadium.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence had a huge game in Monday's win over the New York Giants, and he took a victory lap on social media.

After finishing with six tackles and three sacks, Lawrence took to Twitter to troll Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James for his praise of Giants running back Saquon Barkley:

James expressed his excitement after Barkley broke free for a 36-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, which gave the Giants a 13-6 lead. But the Cowboys quickly erased the deficit and rattled off 17 straight points to put the game away.

Dallas will return to action Sunday with another NFC East matchup, this time against the Washington Commanders.

The New York Giants had the opportunity to make an impressive statement against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, but the team was let down by its offensive line in a 23-16 loss at MetLife Stadium.

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was under duress for most of the game, as the Cowboys sacked him five times. Jones finished the game 20-of-37 for 196 yards, no touchdowns and an interception on the team's final offensive drive. He also ran the ball nine times for 79 yards.

Entering this season, Jones was usually the culprit for New York's offensive woes because of his propensity for turnovers. But he played a clean game Monday up until the very end, so the loss was far from his fault.

Despite having a pair of first-round picks in tackles Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal, the Giants offensive line looked out of sorts throughout the night. It's hard to expect much from Jones when he's constantly facing pressure from the Dallas defense.

NFL Twitter ripped the Giants offensive line for its performance Monday, with some even expressing pity for Jones.

Now that the Giants are no longer undefeated, it should allow head coach Brian Daboll to reassess his approach. New York ran the ball just 25 times Monday, with Saquon Barkley leading the way with 81 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. A more concerted effort to commit to the running game could allow the Giants offensive line to develop more consistency.

New York (2-1) will have to figure things out quickly when it tries to bounce back Sunday against the Chicago Bears (2-1).

The New York Giants fear receiver Sterling Shepard suffered a season-ending knee injury near the end of Monday's 23-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, according to The Score's Jordan Schultz.

Schultz added the team is "preparing for the worst."

New York coach Brian Daboll didn't have an update on Shepard's injury after the game. He did, however, tell reporters that "it didn’t look good."

As Trevon Diggs picked off Daniel Jones to clinch the win for the Cowboys, Shepard went down with a non-contact injury away from the throw. He was in obvious pain and carted off the field, but only after a number of players from both teams surrounded him to offer their best wishes.

Shepard was New York's leading receiver in the game and finished with five catches for 49 yards.

The Oklahoma product has been with the Giants his entire career since they selected him with a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft. While he has never been a game-changing No. 1 option, he has been largely solid with five seasons of more than 500 receiving yards, including when he posted 872 in 2018.

Yet durability has been a concern of late.

An Achilles injury limited him to just seven games last season, and he hasn't played more than 12 contests since the 2018 campaign. It appears he will miss more time this year after Monday's setback.

A prolonged absence for Shepard will likely put the Kenny Golladay situation even more in the spotlight given the need for another wide receiver to make up for the lost production.

Golladay has largely been a nonfactor this season and told reporters Wednesday: "I came here to play. I'm pretty sure they're also paying me to play. They want to see more I guess ... I really don't agree with it or like it. But I can only control what I can control, and that's coming to work every day."

Given Shepard's injury, he may have more of an opportunity to play for a 2-1 Giants team that could still be a contender in the NFC.

The New York Giants could look to trade receiver Kenny Golladay if his production doesn't improve, although it would have nothing to do with his attitude, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

"Sources say Golladay has been great inside the building," Rapoport reported. "He does all the right things and has been a positive influence in the locker room."

The one-time Pro Bowler played just two snaps in New York's Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers, leading to criticism last week at practice.

"I came here to play," Golladay told reporters. "I'm pretty sure they're also paying me to play. They want to see more, I guess."

The 28-year-old is in his second season of a four-year, $72 million deal with the Giants. He tallied only 521 receiving yards on 37 catches with no touchdowns during his first year, and things have been even worse to start the 2022 campaign.

Through two games, Golladay has just two catches for 22 yards.

According to Rapoport, the only possibility for a trade would be if the Giants take on a majority of the wideout's salary while getting back only a late-round draft pick.

Golladay isn't forcing his way out, however, remaining professional despite the lack of playing time.

Head coach Brian Daboll actually praised the wideout's public comments for showing "competitiveness."

"Everybody in this building tells me I do everything the right way and be a pro at whatever I do," Golladay said Wednesday. "So it's a little confusing."

It seems if things don't change soon, the veteran could be on his way out of New York.

New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux told reporters he will make his NFL debut Monday against the Dallas Cowboys after missing his team's first two regular-season matchups with a sprained MCL.

The Giants selected Thibodeaux with the No. 5 overall pick in this year's NFL draft. The former Oregon star amassed 126 tackles and 19 sacks in three seasons with the Ducks.

Thibodeaux suffered the injury after a block from Cincinnati Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss during an Aug. 21 preseason game. It appears Thibodeaux's time away will ultimately end after a month, however, as the talented potential superstar gets ready to take the NFL field.

The Giants should also welcome back linebacker Azeez Ojulari, who posted eight sacks in his rookie season with Big Blue last year.

Ojulari, a second-year pro, missed the Giants' first two games with a calf injury suffered in a joint practice with the New York Jets on Aug. 26.

That's a huge win for the Giants' defense, as Ojulari and Thibodeaux were expected to be the team's top pass-rushers this year.

As is, the Giants have excelled on defense, allowing just 36 points en route to propelling the team to a 2-0 record for the first time since 2016.

Up next is a 1-1 Dallas Cowboys team that gutted out a 20-17 win over the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals despite missing starting quarterback Dak Prescott (fractured thumb). Game time is Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET in East Rutherford, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll doesn't appear upset about Kenny Golladay's recent comments about a lack of playing time.

"I've been in the NFL a long time," Daboll told reporters Thursday. "I don't know that I've ever been part of any team where someone’s not happy about something. I have great respect for Kenny. I'm glad he’s not happy he didn't play; that shows competitiveness."

This comes in response to Golladay voicing his frustration about his limited role through the team's first two games.

"I came here to play," the receiver said Wednesday, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. "I'm pretty sure they’re also paying me to play. They want to see more I guess.

"I really don’t agree with it or like it. But I can only control what I can control, and that’s coming to work every day. If I was in the game [against the Panthers], I feel like everything that was done in the game I for sure could've done. We won at the end of the day, which is good."

Golladay played just two snaps in the 19-16 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. He has just two catches for 22 yards in two games this season, although the Giants are 2-0.

The role certainly isn't what Golladay expected after he signed a four-year, $72 million deal in free agency last offseason when former general manager Dave Gettleman was in charge. The 2019 Pro Bowler had a disappointing first year in New York, totaling 37 catches for 521 yards and no touchdowns.

A coaching change from Joe Judge to Daboll offered a fresh start in a more offensive-minded system, but it's clear the current staff doesn't trust Golladay on the field.

Unheralded players Richie James and David Sills were the Giants' leading receivers in Week 2, while Golladay and 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney barely saw the field.

The latest comments from Daboll indicate the door isn't closed on Golladay getting more snaps in the future, but it's clear he will have to earn them.

New York Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who is in the second year of a four-season, $72 million deal, played just two snaps in a 19-16 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Golladay made his displeasure regarding his reduced role clear in a chat with reporters on Wednesday.

"I came here to play," he told reporters. “I’m pretty sure they’re also paying me to play. They want to see more I guess.

"I really don’t agree with it or like it. But I can only control what I can control, and that’s coming to work every day. If I was in the game [vs. the Panthers], I feel like everything that was done in the game I for sure could’ve done. We won at the end of the day, which is good."

ESPN's Jordan Raanan provided more remarks from the ex-Detroit Lion, who signed with Big Blue during the 2021 offseason in free agency.

Golladay has not fared well with the Giants, catching just 37 passes for 521 yards and no touchdowns in 2021. He had two catches for 22 yards in Week 1 versus the Tennessee Titans this year but was unable to get in the box score Sunday in limited action.

It's a new era in East Rutherford, New Jersey as general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have taken over.

It's clear that Daboll is going to play those he fills puts the Giants in the best position to succeed regardless of one's contract status.

"It’s a continual competition at receiver," Daboll said, via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

"We are just going to keep rolling guys [through the lineup] and play the guys we think are going to give us the best chance—and the other guys have to be ready to go as backups."

In Week 1, the Giants rarely used Kadarius Toney, who the team took with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Toney got back on the field more frequently in Week 2, but it appeared to be at the expense of Golladay, whose 77 percent of snaps played led all Giants wideouts in Week 1.

The Giants offense has largely struggled outside the second half of the Titans game, which saw New York score all of its points in a 21-20 win over Tennessee. Four field goals and one touchdown were good enough Sunday in the Panthers win.

Now the Giants will take their 2-0 record back to the Meadowlands as they welcome the Dallas Cowboys into town on Monday evening.