Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks has been full of optimism about his rate of recovery from a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot, but it seems the Giants’ preference for caution has won the day.
On a conference call Thursday, Nicks said that doctors told him that he could be back to work in as little as four weeks. He’s not going to push for that kind of turnaround, choosing to go by the 12-week timetable that the Giants have laid out instead.
It’s the wisest course of action for both player and team. Nicks isn’t going to miss anything between now and his return in terms of offensive installation, and his chemistry with Eli Manning isn’t something that should be worrisome. Making sure there’s the least possible risk of a setback or recurrence of the injury should be his first priority. For the Giants, there’s a possibility of gaining something through increased reps for other members of the receiving corps.
Nicks might be willing to cede control over the pace of his rehab to the Giants, but he remains adamant about one thing. Nicks said he’ll play in the season opener against the Cowboys.
“I don’t have any doubt,” Nicks said, via Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
That game is in 97 days, which is plenty of time for Nicks’ foot to heal under either timeline.