Giants tight end Daniel Fells, who was placed on IR last week with a staph infection, is in danger of having his foot amputated, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Fells has been hospitalized for over a week and was moved to an intensive care unit on Friday. He has since been moved to a private room to permit a nurse to focus solely on his care.
Fells is battling a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection that has required five surgeries to date, and Rapoport notes that more surgeries are coming as doctors attempt to save Fells’ foot. Per Rapoport, Fells was given a cortisone shot to treat toe and ankle injuries, and after a week of ankle and foot pain, Fells’ had a temperature of 104 degrees and was taken to the hospital by his wife on October 2. It was then that doctors diagnosed him with an MRSA infection, which is resistant to many antibiotics. And if the possibility of losing his foot was not bad enough, there is also the concern that the MRSA has penetrated the bone and could travel to the blood, which would put Fells’ life in jeopardy.
While the football-related aspects of this injury of course take a backseat, it should be noted that the Giants have worked to prevent the further spread of MRSA by scrubbing their locker room, training room, and meeting rooms. They have also consulted with several infectious disease specialists, per a report from ESPN.com.
Fells, who turned 32 last month, is in his second year with the Giants. While he wasn’t used much as a receiver in 2014, he did reach the end zone four times on his 16 overall receptions. He also recorded six receptions in the early going this season before being sidelined. Needless to say, his football career is very much in doubt at the moment. Over six plus seasons with the Rams, Broncos, Patriots, and Giants, Fells has tallied 114 receptions for 1,334 yards and 12 touchdowns.