Daniel Bellinger Set to Return to Giants' Lineup

Rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger should be back on the field for the Giants for the first time since his eye injury in Week 7.

Author:
Andrew Parsaud
Publish date:
Nov 30, 2022 10:14 AM EST

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New York Giants

Daniel Bellinger has become a vital part of the New York Giants' offense this season. Despite only being a rookie, Bellinger’s impact has been clear when he’s on the field.

In seven games, Bellinger has 16 catches for 152 yards, two touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown. The stats are not eye-popping, but it was evident that the coaching staff was implementing the young tight end more each week, not just in the passing game but as a run blocker.

Unfortunately, an eye injury in Week 7 put the young man out of action for the last several weeks. But the good news is the rookie is trending toward a return this weekend when the Giants host the Washington Commanders.

Bellinger, who said his double vision has subsided, was out on the practice field working with his new visor to get himself back into football shape as quickly as possible.

So far, so good.

"I feel good about it," he said after practice. "The biggest step was hitting and hitting hard with my helmet and pads, and it felt good today.

“The thing today was to see how I felt about the eye, and I wasn’t apprehensive about it. I felt good going out there, and I felt comfortable hitting, and I didn’t feel like I had to slow up or anything like that. I felt comfortable going out there and just playing ball.”

The visor will be a part of his football gear moving forward, and it's something that he's going to have to get used to.

"Yeah, just getting used to that visor when I hit, and the sweat comes off it. I never had to wear one like that, so just kind of getting used to that as well.”

The biggest part of Bellinger’s return to the field is seeing if he can absorb contact and make sure his eye can take the pressure.

“The final step is to see how I feel about it, but it’s still going day-by-day and step-by-step to see how I feel. It’s about obviously the hitting stuff I feel comfortable with, but it’s also seeing the strain that the eye takes because of the muscles when they took that blow, just kind of seeing the strain they take with the physical activity.”

Like head coach Brian Daboll, Bellinger feels good about his chances of playing on Sunday against Washington. The Giants' running game needs him back, as they’ve struggled recently. The loss of rookie right tackle Evan Neal also has hampered the Giants' ability to run the ball effectively.

In seven games with Bellinger on the field, the Giants rushed for less than 100 yards just one time. In the four games without him, the Giants have rushed for over 100 yards only once, in Week 10 against Houston. The Giants averaged over 6 yards per carry four times with Bellinger on the field.

Without him, the highest yards per carry they’ve reached was 4.1 in Week 10. The loss of Bellinger was evident the following week after his injury, which was the Giants' worst rushing performance of the year. They rushed for only 78 yards and averaged 2.8 yards per carry against Seattle.

Bellinger’s absence has been hindering the strength of the Giants, which is their run game. In their first seven games with Bellinger in the lineup, the Giants' rushing game averaged 173.4 yards per game. In the last four without the rookie tight end, that average per game dipped to 112 yards.

With a chance to return as early as this week, Bellinger’s excited to return and help make a playoff push in his first year as a professional.

“It feels good to be a part of this team and to have the opportunity. (Head) Coach (Brian) Dabs (Daboll) talks about how many teams don’t have the opportunity, so it feels good to have it. Of course, we’ve got to capitalize on it.”