The oft-injured tight end for the New York Giants was absent for scrimmage game.
With no NFL preseason taking place this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, all 32 teams will instead play intra-squad scrimmage games. T
he New York Giants are doing that on Friday night inside an empty MetLife Stadium, with every player expected to participate. One pivotal member of New York’s offense did not.
According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, tight end Evan Engram is surprisingly not playing the scrimmage game as initially expected. Instead, Engram stood on the field with his helmet in his hand.
Engram not playing immediately caused Giants fans to panic
The team provided no confirmation as to why Engram stood on the side during the scrimmage game. Prior to the game, the Engram was spotted catching passes from quarterback Daniel Jones in pregame warmups. We won’t know have a definite answer until head coach Joe Judge speaks with the media following the game.
Giants fans always think of the worst when it comes to the 2017 first-round pick, because he’s never been able to stay healthy for a full season. In his sophomore campaign, Engram was limited to 11 games with MCL and foot injuries. Then, there was last season, where Engram was placed on injured reserve with yet another foot ailment, which require surgery this past offseason.
When on the field, Engram is a game-wrecker for opposing defenses. He plays tight end, but he’s built more like a wide receiver, creating mismatches against linebackers and safeties. In his three NFL seasons, Engram has caught 153-of-247 targets for 1,766 yards and 12 touchdowns.
A healthy Engram is important for the Giants offense. Every quarterback needs a security blanket, and Engram can be just that for Jones. Giants fans are certainly waiting with bated breath for the post game conference call, hoping that Engram isn’t dealing with anything serious.