Surgery will again be part of Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul’s offseason in 2016, but the difference this time is that it will be scheduled rather than the emergency work Pierre-Paul needed done after his July 4 fireworks accident.
Pierre-Paul said Wednesday that he’ll have surgery in hopes of improving his ability to grip with his right hand. If that can happen, Pierre-Paul hopes to play with a glove rather than the oversized club he’s worn since returning at midseason. The club has kept Pierre-Paul from making plays and he says he’ll be “perfectly fine” as a player once he stops using it.
Surgery isn’t the only offseason issue on Pierre-Paul’s plate. He’s set to do the free agency dance again this year and said he’d like to remain with the Giants.
“They gave me a second chance,” Pierre-Paul said, via ESPN.com. “They didn’t have to. I appreciate that, but they also know what type of player they’re getting. I’m just a different type of player. I don’t think a lot of guys could have done what I did, come back from what I came back from and played the way I’ve played.”
Pierre-Paul has one sack since returning, but the Giants pass rush has looked better overall with Pierre-Paul garnering attention from blockers that has opened up avenues for others. Robert Ayers, the team’s leading sacker, is also going to be a free agent, so the Giants will have plenty of work to do to shore up an ailing defense whether Pierre-Paul is back next year.