It may be some time before we have an idea about when defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will be back on a football field, but he’s taken one step toward a return to the game.
Kim Jones of NFL Media reports that she’s been told by Jackson Memorial Hospital that Pierre-Paul “is no longer here” after being discharged. Pierre-Paul had his right index finger amputated last Thursday after suffering injuries, including a fractured thumb, while shooting off fireworks on July 4.
We have seen a variety of opinions about how well and how quickly Pierre-Paul will recover from his injuries. That in turn impacts an uncertain contract situation as Pierre-Paul has not signed his franchise tag and is not expected to do so until he’s medically cleared to resume his on-field duties. The big reason for that is the possibility that the Giants would place Pierre-Paul on the non-football injury list, which would allow them to not pay the defensive end’s $14.8 million salary under the tag.
The Giants could also rescind the tag and avoid paying him altogether, although they aren’t expected to do that. Pierre-Paul would still miss out on paychecks every week he is out of the lineup if he doesn’t sign the tag before the start of the regular season, so getting out of the hospital and getting his rehab going are important steps on multiple fronts