Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Engram Hoping Latest Injury is Short-term
Giants tight end Evan Engram is trying to look on the bright side of things when it comes to the left-foot injury that will likely keep him out of Sunday's game against the Jets.
"It could be a lot worse," he told reporters Wednesday.
Indeed it could, but the Giants are trying to find out just how bad Engram's injury, which he said was a "low-grade foot sprain" actually was.
The team's doctors sent the tight end's MRI to noted foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay for a second opinion on the initial diagnosis.
"My agent wanted a second opinion to get reassurance for what we already know," Engram said.
The best-case scenario for the 25-year-old Engram is that he'll miss just this weekend's game against the Jets. With the Giants having a bye after their upcoming game, Engram will have had nearly three weeks of rest and recover from his latest injury.
Engram, who is in a walking boot, said he initially suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Monday night loss to the Cowboys, and then aggravated it in the fourth quarter.
"I caught the ball and got tackled. I guess I got rolled up on, and I was fighting through it. I finished the game, and when I woke up the next morning, it was pretty bad."
This is a critical season for Engram, who remains the Giants team leader in receptions (44) and receiving yards (467). The Giants will need to decide whether to pick up the option year on their 2017 first-round draft pick's rookie contract after this season.
When healthy, Engram is an intriguing talent who can be used a variety of different ways in the passing game. Unfortunately, staying healthy has been a challenge for the former Ole Miss product, who has played in 34 games over three seasons with 25 starts.
While Engram awaits Dr. Anderson's feedback on his low-grade sprain, he tried to keep a brave face as he continues to deal with various injuries that have kept him from playing in a full 16-game season.
"It’s tough. I hate missing time. I hate not being out there playing football," Engram said.
"But it’s not my fault. It’s this crazy game we play. Things happen. I can attack the treatment. I can attack my recovery and continue to stay focused on the things I was doing and speed up my recovery time and get back out there as soon as possible."
