Golden Tate Clarifies Comments About Role in Giants Offense

The Giants veteran receiver insists he's not unhappy with his Giants role and that he's looking forward to doing whatever is asked of him to help the team win.

Giants receiver Golden Tate seemed to be a bit surprised that his postgame comments about his role in the Giants’ 28-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings Sunday made as much of a ripple as they did.

Tate was asked after Sunday’s game if his workload in his first week back from a 4-game suspension due to a PED violation in which he was targeted only six times if that was what his role might be moving forward.

“I hope not,” he said. “I want to be out there as much as possible. We’ll see. It’s the first week back for me. I hope my role increases.”

Tate insisted that those comments were not a sign of his unhappiness with his role in the offense.

“The only thing that I was saying is that I hope I’m more involved at some point,” Tate said Monday. “But I do understand that this is my first week back, there is a process to this. You don’t just throw someone right in the fire when things can happen in another way.”

Tate continued, “I am very happy to be a New York Giant. I am very happy to be back in this locker room and playing football. I think it would be more alarming if I said, ‘No, I don’t want to play more. I don’t want more passes.’ I would look at that guy a little funny.”

With receiver Sterling Shepard sidelined due to a concussion, and with there being some uncertainty about tight end Evan Engram’s availability, Tate could get his wish to see more pass targets on Thursday against the New England Patriots.

“It’s tough because it’s hard to reach your potential when you don’t have everybody out there,” Tate said. 

“It’s unfortunate, but then again, it’s also football. That’s what we sign up for, and you never know when injuries are going to happen.” 

While Tate isn’t happy to see teammates ailing, he said he’d be okay with an increase in pass targets if that’s what the coaches want.  

“Honestly, whatever it takes to win, that’s the goal here for everybody in this locker room,” he said. 

“That’s what I want my part to be, help us win, so if that means I run more plays, so be it. Less plays, whatever, win. Coming into this locker room after last week’s win was fun and today wasn’t as fun, we want to get back to winning.”

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