When the New York Giants hired Joe Schoen as their next general manager and Brian Daboll as their next head coach, wide receiver Sterling Shepard was uncertain about his future.
Despite that uncertainty, Shepard was front and center when the Giants announced Daboll as head coach. And shortly thereafter, Shepard accepted a significant pay cut in order to remain in East Rutherford.
“I mean, they wanted me here, I wanted to be here. We were able to work something out that made sense for both sides and, you know, I’ve moved on from it. Just looking forward to getting to know these guys and getting to know this playbook and trying to do my part and win games,” Shepard told reporters on Monday.
“I did the pros and cons and the pros outweigh the cons by a landslide. I did a lot of talking to my family and ultimately it was the best situation for me and my family. I was super happy that we were able to come to an agreement and if everything goes the way that I hope that it goes, hopefully I’ll be here for a little bit longer.”
Although the Giants and Shepard came to an agreement on a pay cut, there’s no denying that his recent injury history had a little something to do with it.
Shepard suffered a ruptured Achilles last season and finished the year on injured reserve. He’s still a ways off from being cleared for football-related activities, but both Shepard and the team are hopeful he’ll be ready for Week 1.
“I’m taking it day by day and just listening to the trainers, doing everything they ask of me. I also do some extra stuff when I get home. Like I said, I’m doing everything in my power to get back on the field and get back out there with my guys,” Shepard said.
