5:43pm: Even more bad news for the Giants. The Giants have also placed guard Geoff Schwartz and linebacker Terrell Manning on injured reserve, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (via Twitter). Meanwhile, running back Chris Ogbonnaya has been added to the roster (link).
Ogbonnaya, 28, saw his second stint with the Panthers come to an end recently when he was waived to make room for the promotion of defensive tackle Micanor Regis. The running back/fullback compiled 50 yards on 14 carries this season, but he hasn’t played since Carolina’s loss to the Saints in late October.
Schwartz, 28, signed a four-year deal with the Giants when he hit free agency in March, but has barely played for the club in 2014. Sidelined with a toe injury, Schwartz was placed on injured reserve with the designation to return prior to Week 1. The 28-year-old returned for November contests against the Cowboys and Jaguars, but that apparently was the beginning and end of his 2014 campaign.
The Giants plucked Manning off of the Bengals’ taxi squad just days ago, but an ankle injury took him off the field. The Giants placed 5 players on IR today but they can only replace four of them since Manning was signed off Cincy’s practice squad last week. NFL rules stipulate that a player signed off of another’s teams practice squad can’t be replaced on the 53-man roster until three weeks have lapsed since the signing.
4:37pm: The Giants’ lost 2014 season took another downward turn today, as the team placed three more veteran players on injured reserve, bringing the total count of Giants players on IR up to 18. According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), defensive end Robert Ayers, defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, and offensive lineman Adam Snyder are the latest New York players to land on the injured reserve list.
As we heard yesterday, Ayers sustained a torn pectoral muscle during Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars, which was expected to end his season. Kiwanuka and Snyder are both on the shelf with knee ailments, and will also see their 2014 seasons end prematurely. For the Giants, these are just the latest in a series of season-ending injuries that have plagued the team all year. Notable contributors like Victor Cruz, Jon Beason, Walter Thurmond, and Prince Amukamara have also been placed on the IR at some point this season.
While Ayers remains under contract for 2015 at an affordable rate and will likely return to the team next season, assuming he makes a full recovery, Kiwanuka and Snyder may have played their last games for the Giants — Kiwanuka’s cap hit increases to an unpalatable $7.45MM next year, while Snyder’s contract expires at season’s end.
As for this season, the Giants will promote three players from their practice squad to fill the newly-created openings on the roster, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Linebacker James Davidson, guard Eric Herman, and defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton will receive promotions to the 53-man unit.