Jason Pierre-Paul Finger Update: Giants Pro Bowler Must 'Re-Learn' How To Play [VIDEO]
New York Giants star defensive-end Jason Pierre-Paul has a new injury to add to the list and it's not your usual boo-boo that could sideline a pro-sports career.
Pierre-Paul hurt himself lighting fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday and doctors ultimately had to
amputate his right index finger. He also sustained two right thumb fractures that could take up to six
weeks to heal.
The Giants placed a franchise tag on the pro-bowler back in March, meaning Pierre-Paul's contract is expired but the organization intended to renew it. If he and the Giants had been able to reach a deal, Pierre-Paul would have gotten a sweet payday. The franchise tender, which is the average yearly sallary of the top five defensive-ends in the league, is $14.8 million. On July 6, the team withdrew its multi-year $60 million off the table.
Pierre-Paul now he has to go out on the field this upcoming season and not only prove to
himself that he can play without this finger but to the Giants or any other teams who could use his pass
rushing ability. It's no knock that he's a great player when healthy. Last year alone he forced three
fumbles and recorded 12.5 sacks while playing in all 16 regular season games.
As Hugh Douglas, a former defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, told Mark Eckel
at NJ.com, Pierre-Paul is going to start over from scratch. "He's going to have to re-learn everything he
does," Douglas explained. "He's going to have to learn how to use his hand without having an index
finger."
So much of the game is played on the line of scrimmage and a degensive-end has to have good technique along with good hands. Hand placement is key in football and, although it may not seem like it, fingers play a big part of that. Players like JPP can easily set up an offensive lineman with their hands by throwing him to the ground to get to the quarterback.
Now, he has to figure out a whole new arsenal of moves in order to compensate for his missing
finger...and deal with the ridicule for how he lost it.
