The New York Giants selected center John Michael Schmitz in the second round of the 2023 draft.
As a rookie, Schmitz appeared in 13 games for the Giants, missing a few with a shoulder injury. His right shoulder still plagues him and has kept him out of practice, but he’s finally easing his way back to the field.
“Today I was only easing back into it,” Schmitz told reporters on Monday. “I was only doing individual, so I’m looking to progress each and every day and get back in there.”
Easing back into it is the right way to handle any injury, but the offensive line had a major overhaul this offseason and it’s important for Schmitz to get into team activities.
Building chemistry takes time but that time is limited as the season rapidly approaches. Still, Schmitz says there are other ways to create rapport with his teammates.
“Obviously, to develop chemistry you got to be out there. But it doesn’t only happen on the field,” he said. “It happens in the film room. It happens off the field. It happens with the relationships. You (got) guys going to dinner. It’s just little things like that. Getting to know the person. When things get tough, this is what you do it for.”
Schmitz is confident in his teammates and their ability to build chemistry even when he’s not on the field, which is good because this year’s offensive line has to do better than last year. It’s the only way the Giants make any headway this season — it all starts with the guys up front.
As long as Schmitz continues to feel good doing individual drills, it won’t be long before he’s back on the field snapping the ball for Daniel Jones.
