Report: Giants ‘hopeful’ Jason Pierre-Paul can return for last four games

The New York Giants have reportedly not given up on Jason Pierre-Paul contributing for them at some point this season.

According to Bob Glauber of Newsday, the Giants are “cautiously optimistic” that Pierre-Paul will be able to return for the final four games of the season if not sooner. A source told Glauber that returning for the final month would be “good” for Pierre Paul, while anything longer than that should be considered a “bonus.”

In addition to having the index finger on his right hand and a portion of his thumb amputated after a 4th of July fireworks mishap, Pierre Paul also suffered damage to his middle finger. The Giants reportedly do not believe the injuries will prevent JPP from playing this season altogether as long as the skin grafts used to repair his hand are strong enough. However, the team still considers Pierre-Paul missing all of 2015 to be a possibility.

Pierre-Paul has yet to sign his $14.8 million franchise tender, likely to prevent the Giants from placing him on the non-football injury list and not having to pay him. If he does not sign the tender by Nov. 17, he would not be permitted to play this season.

The Giants have just five sacks in four games without their 26-year-old pass rusher. While Pierre-Paul has cracked jokes on Twitter and shared videos in an attempt to prove that he is close to returning, the photos that were released of his hand show that the injury is significant. There’s no telling how it will affect Pierre-Paul’s play on the field.