New York Giants veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard was tired on Wednesday after practicing for the first time since his Achilles’ injury sidelined him last December.
“I’m not going to lie. I was tired today,” said Shepard. “It was tough today, but we got through it. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Shepard had just been through a padded practice that required him to do a lot more than previous coaching staffs here in terms of pre-snap motion. A lot of running around to make defenses work harder.
Shepard was on the fence when it came to starting the regular season on the active roster. That was settled on Wednesday when the Giants activated him from PUP, perhaps in response to the rash of injuries at the wide receiver positions. He says that’s just a coincidence.
“That’s always been kind of the timeline, and I had to work my tail off. They told me that if that was going to be the case, then I’d have to put in overtime and do a lot to get back. Just dedicated to the process; it was as a long road. But it felt great to be back there like I said,” Shepard said.
Shepard was limited to just seven games last year. Before getting shelved with the Achilles in Week 15, he had missed a glut of games due to quad and hamstring issues.
He wants to make it through the season unscathed. The Giants would like that, too. Shepard was under contract until 2024 but since he hasn’t shown that he can stay on the field, the Giants — rather than cutting him — restructured his contract to a one-year, ‘prove-it’ deal. He sees it as an opportunity.
“I’m just listening to the guys, just listening to them and whatever they tell me to do, and wherever they see me progressing, that’s what I’m going to go with. I’ll listen to the (athletic) trainers and Ronnie (Barnes) and those guys, they know best,” he said.
