Jason Pierre-Paul - Pro Football Rumors

Giants Fear JPP Could Miss Season?

September 13th, 2015 at 11:54am CST by Connor J. Byrne

SUNDAY, 11:54am: Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk has once again cast a black cloud on the JPP story. Citing Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Smith writes that Pierre-Paul has lost a great deal of weight because he has been unable to work out. Glazer adds that JPP has severe injuries to three fingers and had a skin graft within the last week. Between Glazer’s report and a pair of tweets from Jordan Raanan of NFL.com this morning, it appears that, if JPP returns in 2015, it will not be until the second half of the season. As his franchise tender would have paid him $14.8MM this year, each week that Pierre-Paul misses will cost him roughly $870,000.

SUNDAY, 9:07am: Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports puts a more positive slant on this development. La Canfora writes that the Giants are “very comfortable” with the plan that Pierre-Paul has been following in Florida and are pleased with the progress he has made. La Canfora says nothing is imminent, and it will be several weeks before New York reassesses JPP physically and settles his contract, but the Giants are not unhappy with what they saw; on the contrary, they are “very enthused.” Although it may be a bit optimistic at this point, La Canfora says an early October return is not out of the question.

SATURDAY, 9:36pm: The right hand injury defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul suffered in a July 4 fireworks accident is worse than the Giants have been led to believe, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Further, there are some within the organization who fear that Pierre-Paul could miss the 2015 season.

The Giants don’t yet plan to rescind Pierre-Paul’s unsigned franchise tender, per Graziano, who notes that – in addition to his missing right index finger, fractured thumb and skin grafts – JPP is without a portion of another finger on his right hand. If the Giants don’t rescind the tender, he could sign it in an effort to get back on the field and collect a prorated amount of the $14.813MM sum. However, the Giants could subsequently place Pierre-Paul on the non-football injury list and end his season. The team would then be able to avoid paying him. Graziano writes that the odds of Pierre-Paul winning a potential appeal are low, given how he sustained the injury.

JPP has been working out on his own and will continue to do so, but it appears the chances of him returning to the field in the near future are slim. While he told the Giants last week that he’d be able to play if outfitted with a protective device for his hand, the team doesn’t want to risk deploying him at less than 100 percent, according to Graziano.

Pierre-Paul has been an important piece for the Giants during his five-year career, collecting 42 sacks – including 12.5 last season – since they used a first-round pick on him in 2010. The Giants had the NFL’s 29th-ranked defense last year even with Pierre-Paul, so it stands to reason that the unit could be in for worse trouble this season without him.

NFC Notes: Eli, C. Jordan, Saints, Ellis

September 10th, 2015 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Reports this week have indicated that Eli Manning and the Giants are making progress toward a new contract extension, and it looks increasingly possible that a deal could be reached before New York’s Week 1 opener against the Cowboys. Adam Schefter of ESPN is the latest to express optimism, suggesting today on NFL Live that Manning will likely have an extension in place by Sunday that pays him north of $20MM annually (Twitter link).

As we wait to see whether the Giants and Manning can get something finalized this week, let’s round up a few more NFC items….

Not long after parting ways with their top pass rusher, Junior Galette, due to ongoing off-field incidents, the Saints are potentially dealing with another legal situation involving a key defensive player. As Mike Triplett of ESPN.com details, New Orleans police are investigating a nightclub altercation from his past weekend that allegedly involves Cameron Jordan. So far, no charges have been filed and no arrests have been made, and Jordan’s attorneys call the allegations “ridiculous,” as Jonathan Bullington of the Times-Picayune writes. Still, it’s the last thing the Saints wanted to be dealing with as the regular season gets underway.
Former Jets and Giants defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis was in Carolina today to pay a visit to the Panthers, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
The Saints are bringing in former Dolphins guard Mike Liedtke for a look on Monday, per agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). After being cut by Miami, Liedtke visited the Jets on Tuesday.
Addressing the Kam Chancellor holdout in Seattle, Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports notes (via Twitter) that it would send the wrong message for the Seahawks to meet Chancellor’s demands when Michael Bennett, who is also unhappy with his contract, was in attendance for the team’s entire training camp.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News weigh in with some thoughts on Jason Pierre-Paul‘s situation, with Vacchiano writing that the Giants can’t count on JPP being a real contributor this year.

Jason Pierre-Paul To Miss Another Month?

September 8th, 2015 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

3:36pm: Per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), now that 53-man rosters have been set, Pierre-Paul can’t be placed on the Giants’ non-football injury list without ending his season, which is another reason why JPP won’t sign his contract yet.

3:30pm: The Giants haven’t rescinded Pierre-Paul’s franchise tag, but he won’t sign it until he’s healthy, at which point he’ll get a prorated portion of $14.813MM, tweets Rapoport. For now, JPP is heading back home.

3:14pm: When Jason Pierre-Paul reported to the Giants yesterday, sources from his camp expressed optimism about his physical condition, suggesting that he could be ready to play in Week 1. However, a Newsday report this afternoon threw cold water on the notion that Pierre-Paul would return to the field immediately, and it sounds like the Giants are a little less bullish on his recovery timetable.

According to Ian Rapoport and Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter links), Pierre-Paul won’t sign his franchise tag with the Giants today or anytime in the immediate future. The NFL.com duo suggests that JPP’s hand isn’t quite ready, and that he could be out for another month — and even that might be an optimistic timetable.

Pierre-Paul is still recovering from a hand injury that he sustained on the July 4th weekend in a fireworks accident. JPP, who lost a finger in the mishap, hadn’t reported to the Giants or taken a physical with the team until yesterday, so the glowing reports about his recovery were presumably all coming from his camp.

Having not yet signed his franchise tender from the Giants, JPP now appears very unlikely to earn the full $14.813MM value of the tag. Still, not signing that one-year deal gave the 26-year-old leeway to miss training camp and the preseason without being fined, and allows him to avoid being placed on New York’s non-football injury list. When a team places a player on the NFI list, he’s automatically ruled out for the season’s first six weeks, and the club can elect not to pay the player’s salary.

We’ll have to wait and see how the JPP situation plays out in the coming days and weeks, but for now it looks like Tony Romo won’t have to worry about the veteran pass rusher chasing him around the field this Sunday night.

Extra Points: JPP, Chancellor, Colts, Saints

September 8th, 2015 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Judge Richard Berman’s Deflategate ruling, Steelers linebacker James Harrison suggested he might try to recoup the salary he lost in fines over the years, and his agent, William Parise, tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that his client wasn’t joking.

“Certainly there’s an open door because of the courts overturning the commissioner’s ability to hear his own appeals,” Parise said, adding that he has discussed the issue with Harrison and with the NFLPA.

Of course, it’s not likely that Harrison gets that fine money back, but as Fowler notes, the fact that anyone’s even talking about such a possibility is a signal of what a big impact Judge Berman’s decision could have on the league going forward.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

While Jason Pierre-Paul‘s camp has been optimistic about the Giants defensive end getting back on the field soon, a league source tells Tom Rock and Bob Glauber of Newsday that it’s unlikely to happen right away. Pierre-Paul and the Giants still need to work out a contract agreement before JPP can play in a game for the team.
Seahawks players are planning for Week 1 as if safety Kam Chancellor will continue his holdout and won’t play in the game, with one telling Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), “I don’t think we’re going to have him at all this season.”
In the wake of recent reports about tension between the Colts‘ head coach and GM, Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson predictably dismissed the idea of a rift, suggesting that they’ll work together and always do what’s best for the team. However, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star hears that Grigson has a tendency to make decisions that run counter to Pagano’s wishes, including lineup decisions. While Holder stops short of calling it a “rift” between the two decision-makers, he acknowledges that there are issues.
In addition to working out Nick Novak today, the Saints are also bringing in Caleb Sturgis for a look, says Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. However, Triplett and Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link) both agree that Zach Hocker‘s job is probably safe for now, with New Orleans simply building a list of potential options.
Despite being demoted to third on the Bills‘ quarterback depth chart, E.J. Manuel isn’t seeking a release or trade, sources close to the QB tell Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter link).

Giants, Eli Manning Making Progress On Deal

September 8th, 2015 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Giants and quarterback Eli Manning were believed to be far apart in extension talks for most of the summer, but with the season right around the corner, there’s still a chance that the two sides could reach an agreement, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. A source with knowledge of the negotiations recently told Raanan that he expects a deal to happen before Week 1, and Manning has acknowledged that progress has been made in contract discussions.

For his part, Manning has mostly avoided discussing his contract, which expires at season’s end, suggesting that his focus is on football. But according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links), the two-time Super Bowl MVP addressed the issue on WFAN today.

“I’m not a big fan of negotiations going on during the season,” Manning said. “I’m hoping if this thing is going to get done, it’s going to get done very quickly … and not have these talks continue on.”

As Manning and the Giants potentially move toward a new agreement, the team also has to figure out what to do with veteran pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul, who reported to New York yesterday and took a physical with the team.

A source tells ESPN’s Dan Graziano (Twitter link) that the Giants were encouraged by Monday’s meeting with JPP, and that the team could engaged in contract talks with Pierre-Paul’s agent as soon as today. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Giants are still reviewing records and notes from the 26-year-old’s physical, and are “conferring internally” before making their next move.

Pierre-Paul believes he’s capable of playing Week 1, but it’s not clear whether the Giants share his confidence — if they do, they’ll have to get him under contract within the next few days.

Jason Pierre-Paul Reporting To Giants

September 7th, 2015 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

2:02pm: Pierre-Paul is in New York for his physical, and while his hand is wrapped for protection, he has no broken bones, per Rapoport and Albert Breer (all Twitter links). The Giants plan to have Tom Coughlin, John Mara, and Jerry Reese meet with JPP when he’s ready.

Rapoport and Breer also note that Pierre-Paul and the Giants will likely rework his contract before he signs, since the team will want to reduce his salary and JPP will want to avoid being placed on the NFI list.

8:37am: Jason Pierre-Paul is set to fly in to reunite with the Giants today, and an all-important physical examination is on the schedule for the veteran defensive end, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Pierre-Paul is still recovering from a hand injury that he sustained on the July 4th weekend in a fireworks accident. JPP, who lost a finger in the mishap, has yet to report to the Giants, so the team is unsure about how the pass rusher’s rehab has progressed. That makes today’s physical an important stepping stone for franchise-tag recipient, as he looks to get back on the field.

For now, Pierre-Paul also technically remains a free agent, having not signed his franchise tender from the Giants. Not signing that one-year deal gave the 26-year-old leeway to miss training camp and the preseason without being fined, and allows him to avoid being placed on New York’s non-football injury list for the first six weeks. When a team places a player on the NFI list, it can also elect to not pay him.

Of course, JPP also won’t get paid as long as he’s not under contract, but if he doesn’t sign his deal before the season gets underway, he’ll only forfeit salary a week at a time, rather than risking losing a six-week chunk at once.

The Giants’ defense has been somewhat banged up so far this summer, particularly in the secondary, so if Pierre-Paul is close to being able to return to the field and get some pressure on opposing passers, it would be a significant boon for that unit.

Jason Pierre-Paul Expects To Play Early This Season

September 3rd, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason Pierre-Paul plans to return to the Giants next week and expects to be able to play early on in the season, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) adds that the Giants will examine JPP’s hand to determine when he’ll actually be able to get back on the field.

Pierre-Paul had a strong 2014 campaign with 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles and was the league’s seventh-best 4-3 defensive end according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). At the end of the season, JPP found himself entangled in a contract dispute with the Giants. The Giants slapped the defensive end with a one-year, $14.813MM franchise tender to keep him, but Pierre-Paul was fighting for a lucrative long-term deal. Big Blue reportedly came to the table with a ~$60MM offer, but Pierre-Paul turned it down.

In July, of course, things took a bizarre and unfortunate turn when JPP lost a finger in a fireworks accident. Since then, Pierre-Paul has been rather distant from the organization and even from his teammates. Despite the frosty summer between the two parties, the Giants are undoubtedly ecstatic to have their star defensive lineman back in the fold. Outside of JPP, the Giants don’t have any players who have recorded more than 7.0 sacks in a season.

NFC Notes: JPP, Mathis, Wayne

August 24th, 2015 at 9:26pm CST by Zachary Links

According to three sources informed of his recovery, Jason Pierre Paul‘s rehab is “progressing very well,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. However, it’s not clear if the Giants star will be in uniform Week 1 against the Cowboys. It’s also not clear when the Giants will get a chance to examine JPP’s hand to get a better read on his situation. Here’s more from the NFC..

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter), that even though Evan Mathis‘ workout went well, there are “a lot of issues” preventing a deal from happening. The biggest roadblock, unsurprisingly, is Mathis’ asking price. Carroll indicated that the Seahawks can’t offer the guard the $5.5MM salary he earned last year with the Eagles. The Seahawks may have to wait and see if Mathis gets that kind of cash elsewhere. If he doesn’t, then he could bounce back to them, Condotta tweets.
Reggie Wayne considered waiting for the Packers, but the team did not confirm its interest before Wayne decided to sign with the Patriots, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
Washington worked out fullback/tight end Evan Rodriguez today, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The versatile Rodriguez spent time on Tampa’s practice squad last year and made five starts with the Bears in 2012.

East Notes: Dolphins, Flynn, Giants, JPP

August 20th, 2015 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins confirmed today that safety Louis Delmas has torn his ACL for the second time in nine months, and the injury leaves the team scrambling to find a new starter at free safety. While it’s possible that Miami will promote an in-house option to the starting lineup, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) hears that the team will “definitely” look around the league for a possible upgrade, either via trade or a waiver claim later in the preseason.

Despite the fact that Eric Weddle ‘s agent David Canter promoted the idea of a trade that would send his client to the Dolphins, Canter himself acknowledged that such a deal won’t happen, and Miami is unlikely to make a major splash to add a safety. Still, as Salguero suggests, the team is in win-now mode, so if the Dolphins’ backups can’t get the job done, it’s imperative that the club finds someone who can.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:

According to head coach Todd Bowles, the Jets considered waiting to sign a quarterback in order to see what other QBs might become available within the next few weeks. However, the club decided to sign Matt Flynn to give him a head start on getting comfortable with the team’s system, and because there was no guarantee he’d still be available in a couple weeks, as Brian Costello of the New York Post details.
The only scenario in which Eli Manning and the Giants don’t eventually work out a new contract is if the team decides to rebuild around a younger, cheaper quarterback, but barring a major injury or a disastrous season, the team is much more likely to stay the course with Manning, says Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
Nearly seven weeks after the fireworks accident that cost him a finger on his right hand, Jason Pierre-Paul has yet to inform the Giants when he’ll report to the club and when he might return to action, writes Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.

East Notes: Brady, Giants, G. Smith

August 13th, 2015 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Lawyers for the NFL and NFLPA are meeting today for more settlement talks regarding Tom Brady‘s situation, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Judge Richard M. Berman wants the two sides to compromise and reach a settlement, but Brady can’t concede to the NFL’s terms without committing perjury, argues Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.

As Robinson explains, the league wants the Patriots quarterback to admit guilt, but Brady testified under oath that he was innocent. So if a settlement is to be reached, the NFL will likely have to give more ground than Brady and the NFLPA to make it happen.

Here’s more on the Brady situation, along with several more notes from out of the East divisions:

Judge Berman has made next Wednesday’s settlement conference optional for Brady and commissioner Roger Goodell, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks the judge may be trying to discern whether Goodell and Brady view the case as sufficiently important to attend the meeting.
Free agent guard Evan Mathis may be on the verge of signing with an NFL team, according to a recent report, but Dan Graziano of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) says he doesn’t think it’ll be the Giants, since he doesn’t believe they’re interested.
Graziano (on Twitter) also doesn’t see Jason Pierre-Paul staying with the Giants beyond 2015.
Geno Smith and IK Enemkpali are both to blame for the unrest in the Jets‘ locker room, Kristian Dyer of Metro NY writes. Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) suggests there’s a belief that Smith lacks respect within the Jets organization and may have been on his way to losing the starting job even before his injury. The quarterback underwent surgery today and had plates and screws put in, though his jaw won’t be wired shut, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).
Don’t blame Jets coach Todd Bowles for the Smith-Enemkpali smackdown and the recent Sheldon Richardson transgressions, but start judging him now, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. How Bowles handles the team’s latest road bumps will determine what type of coach he becomes for the Jets.
Undrafted center David Andrews out of Georgia is a top candidate among the Patriots‘ four UDFAs to land a roster spot, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.