Jason Pierre-Paul is no longer hiding his injured right hand, and that is a terrifying thing for the general public.
On Sunday, Pierre-Paul gave Michael Strahan an up-close look at the hand during an interview with FOX Sports. TMZ later caught up with the Giants defensive end and asked him if he has played any Madden lately.
“I can’t play Madden without an index finger,” Pierre-Paul said while bursting out laughing.
Before that, JPP made no effort to hide his hand.
This isn’t the first time Pierre-Paul has joked around about his fireworks accident, as you may remember this joke he made on Twitter. However, JPP did also send a serious message about the dangers of fireworks.
“Listen, at the end of the day, it happened to me,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was a big accident but I’ve moved on with my life. I’m still doing what I love, still playing football. I’m reaching out as a role model to the kids.
“At the end of the day, fireworks are dangerous. Stay away from them.”
Pierre-Paul is, indeed, still playing football, but he has clearly struggled. He recorded his first sack since returning on Sunday, and we have seen video evidence that shows he is struggling to tackle with one hand. We admire JPP’s willingness to be open about the incident, but he clearly isn’t the same player just yet.
