On Monday, NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo reported that New York Giants center Nick Gates agreed to terms with the Washington Commanders.
Shortly thereafter, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News shared word that the Giants previously intended to release Gates before the 2022 season.
Gates suffered a severe leg injury in 2021 and nearly lost his leg. After seven surgeries, a lot of physical therapy and a ton of hard work, he returned to the field in a Giants uniform in October 2022.
In a TikTok video, Leonard tells how he learned that Gates was slated to be released prior to September 6, 2022, before he had a chance to show that he could play in the regular season.
@plonnfl A previously unreported story about Nick Gates as he leaves #Giants for Washington #nfl #talkinball #talkinballwithpatleonard #fyp #foryou #commanders
“I noticed Nick Gates was tearing up and very emotional in the Giants practice locker room,” Leonard said. “Then I saw Daniel Jones, the franchise quarterback, cross the locker room and give Gates a hug, say a few words to him and go back.
“Eventually, I gathered that Gates had been told that day that he was going to be released. He was going to be cut by the Giants before ever receiving a real chance to prove that he could play in a regular season game in the 2022 season. Obviously, that news wasn’t received well but he was not cut that day.”
That the Giants considered releasing Gates prior to his return last season could help explain why he was so willing to sign with a team that will play his former mates twice per season. Of course, the money and starting job didn’t hurt, either.
After signing with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2018, then nearly losing his leg in a horrific injury, the odds have been stacked against Gates.
Gates appeared in 10 games for the Giants in 2022, starting in eight of them. Now he’ll suit up for a division rival in the Commanders and start the next chapter of his career.
