Giant Concern as Sterling Shepard Continues to Battle Concussion Symptoms

The rest of Shepard's 2019 season remains uncertain after a relapse of concussion symptoms lands him back in the league's protocol.

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants had been looking forward to the return of receiver Sterling Shepard Monday night after a three-week absence with his second concussion.

But on Sunday, Shepard, despite being cleared from the protocol, was entered back into it after feeling ill Saturday night and Sunday morning and undergoing another examination and will remain out indefinitely.

“This is a serious injury, and in my mind, it requires a serious response,” head coach Pat Shurmur said Tuesday. “We want to make sure he’s well before he goes back out there.” 

Shurmur said he wasn’t sure if Shepard would have to start at the very beginning of the protocol, but he did say the team would be smart about Shepard’s progress through the protocol.

“I think we have to use good judgment, and we need to be very deliberate about guys coming back from injuries such as this,” he said. 

“There are signs, and there are things, as they go through coming back from concussions... there’s also the activity and how they respond to it. 

“At some point, we have to use our gut. Listen, I mentioned it, it’s a serious injury, and we’re taking it very seriously. We have to try to make good decisions. ... Player safety is certainly on the front burner for us.” 

In other injury news, tight end Evan Engram has “a bit of a sore foot,” according to Shurmur.

“I don’t have any details on that,” he said. “We’ll just have to see as the week goes on and how he’ll do.”