EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- While the New York Giants work to try to avoid starting their season 0-3 without him, injured defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul continues to drop public hints that he believes he's getting closer to returning.
Pierre-Paul posted a video Tuesday morning on his Instagram account that shows him bench-pressing with a towel between his injured right hand and the bar. The caption says, "Getting back right."
Pierre-Paul severely injured his hand in a July 4 fireworks accident that cost him his entire right index finger and required several surgical procedures to repair his thumb and other fingers. He visited the Giants' team facility Sept. 7 and said he'd be willing to play if they could find a way to protect the hand, but the Giants deemed him not ready, and he has been training at home ever since.
The Giants and Pierre-Paul are likely to talk again at some point next month about his readiness to return to the field, and if the Giants don't think he can come back this season, they could rescind his $14.81 million franchise tender, allowing him to test his worth on the free-agent market. If Pierre-Paul believes he's ready to play and the Giants won't clear him to pass a physical, that could lead to a dispute between player and team that would have to be mediated by the league and the NFL Players Association.
But we're a long way from all of that. This latest post seems to indicate Pierre-Paul wants everyone to know he's working to try to get back.