After months of speculation regarding when Jason Pierre-Paul would return to the New York Giants, we finally have word that the All-Pro defensive end plans on joining up with the team next week.
It’s been almost two months to the day since Pierre-Paul suffered his unfortunate fireworks accident on the 4th of July. To this point, nobody has known anything about when he would return, but a report by Dan Graziano of ESPN.com has him pegged to return next week just as the season is about to begin.
Pierre-Paul hasn’t been under contract this summer, which has allowed him to do whatever he wants. He wasn’t cooperating with ownership for a while, not returning calls, which co-owner Steve Tisch admitted was “very frustrating.”
You can bet Tisch and the rest of the organization is pleased to hear their star pass-rusher is ready to come back into the fold. He has yet to sign his franchise tender, and any return to the franchise would require him to do so, or to sign another deal with the club.
According to Graziano, Pierre-Paul expects to play “early in the season.”
It will not be up to him when he’s allowed to play, however, as New York’s team doctors will ultimately have the say regarding any timeline for his return.
No doubt the Giants are eager to get Pierre-Paul back on the field as soon as he’s ready.