Wide receiver Sterling Shepard worked diligently to return just eight months after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon and then signed a reworked deal to remain with the New York Giants.
The story of perseverance was one worth celebrating but likely came to an abrupt end on Monday night.
On the Giants’ final offensive play of the game, Shepard went down grasping his knee with a non-contact injury and had to be carted off the field. In the locker-room after the game, the mood was somber and reflected the likely news to come.
“I went in there to see him,” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters. “And I didn’t stop to talk to the trainers. It didn’t look good on what I saw. . . It’s tough. It’s a tough sport. Guys work their butts off to get back from injuries, and if this is something that he’s out for the whole season — which we’ll probably know tomorrow morning or maybe we even know now – you hurt for those guys because they put everything into it. You watch them in the rehab room. You watch them in the offseasons. It’s just a shame.”
Shepard’s teammates were heartbroken.
“It’s just real tough. Real tough to see that, for sure. A guy who works so hard, he’s battling back from an injury last year. I feel for him as a teammate, as a close friend and yeah, that’s tough to see,” quarterback Daniel Jones said.
“Any player that gets taken off on a cart is not a good sight,” running back Saquon Barkley added. “Obviously, the relationship I have with Shep, it definitely hurts a little bit more. But at the end of the day, I’m his brother and I’m going to be there for him. I’ve dealt with something like that, you never know until you go in there and get an MRI. Always have high prayers whoever it is, and he knows I got his back and we have his back. We appreciate everything he does and energy he brings to the team.
“Definitely a gut punch ending. It’s tough. It’s definitely tough. Especially just the type of guy Shep is, his character, the energy he brings to this team. One of my best friends, if not my best friend. So, it sucks to see him go down.”
Even those who are relatively new to the team and not necessarily as close to Shepard personally felt the loss in a big way.
“That’s the worst thing to me. That’s the worst thing that happened tonight,” center Jon Feliciano said. “Losing to a division opponent is never great, but it’s Week 3. Losing Shep, seeing him down on the ground. I haven’t been here, but since I’ve been here seeing how hard he has worked to get back on the field and what a great guy he is and fun to be around. I don’t know what happened. We don’t know the significance of the injury right now, but it’ll be tough just not having him around.”
“It’s huge for the team. Period. That’s my brother and I know all that he did and put in to get back to play. He was ready Week 1. He just comes with a lot of energy on the sidelines and in practice and throughout the meeting room,” wide receiver Kenny Golladay added. “It definitely hurt me when I saw him go down like that and grab his knee. It still hurts. It almost choked me up there a little bit to be totally honest. I’ve grown a relationship with him and I know how much he’s actually put in and how much he actually cares about it. That’s tough.”
The Giants expect an official diagnosis on Shepard early on Tuesday morning.