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Giants Rookie Joshua Ezeudu's Neck Issue "Long Term"

Ezeudu was recently placed on injured reserve, but his injury is not thought to be career-threatening.

Patricia Traina

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New York Giants rookie offensive guard Joshua Ezeudu, the team's third-round pick this year, was placed on injured reserve last week after missing over a month with a neck injury.

Head coach Brian Daboll told reporters this week that Ezeudu's injury is “long-term” but not career-threatening.  

It's unclear what "long-term" means, as neck injuries can heal at different rates in different people. An early guess would be that the former North Carolina offensive lineman will take as much time in the months ahead as needed to ensure his injury is fully healed before being cleared for contact.

Ezeudu is the latest Giants rookie draft class member to land on injured reserve. He joins second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson (ACL), fifth-round pick Marcus McKethan (ACL), fifth-round pick D.J. Davidson (ACL), and sixth-round pick Darrian Beavers (ACL) as having his rookie campaign cut short.

First-round picks Kayvon Thibodeaux (MCL) and Evan Neal (MCL), third-rounder Cor'Dale Flott (calf), and fourth-rounders Daniel Bellinger (eye) all missed games this year due to injuries. 

Dane Belton (clavicle) missed a chunk of training camp with his injury but returned for the start of the season. Fifth-rounder Micah McFadden is the only one in the draft class who hasn't missed any significant time (practice or game) due to injury.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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