On Tuesday, Giants co-owner John Mara criticized defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul for not letting Giants officials visit him in the hospital after his July 4 fireworks injuries and said that he doesn’t think Pierre-Paul is “receiving very good advice right now” regarding his lack of communication with the team.
It doesn’t look like Pierre-Paul will be changing his course as a result of those comments, however. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports that Pierre-Paul “isn’t likely” to be swayed by the feelings of the man who has been signing his checks the last few years. Per Graziano, Pierre-Paul will continue rehabbing on his own in South Florida.
Those checks are likely at the heart of Pierre-Paul’s desire to heal away from the team. If he signs his franchise tender, the Giants can put him on the non-football injury list and not pay him until he’s activated. The two sides could sign an agreement that guarantees Pierre-Paul his salary, but there’s no sign that’s on the table at this point and, of course, the Giants can still rescind the $14.8 million tag altogether.
If Pierre-Paul continues to stay away from the team, he’ll likely return when doctors tell him he’ll pass a physical that would eliminate the NFI possibility. There’s no timeline for that, although a source told Graziano that Pierre-Paul will be ready to play “sooner than a lot of people think.” Given the uncertainty surrounding his status, it’s hard to know when that might be and that’s probably not going to make Mara or anyone else with the Giants feel any better about the situation.