Giants WR Sterling Shepard Breaks Thumb at First Day of Training Camp
By Scott Rogust
New York Giants training camp officially opened on Thursday, with many keeping an eye on the Odell Beckham-less offense. Just one day in, and the receiving corps has taken a hit.
The team announced that wide receiver Sterling Shepard suffered a broken left thumb halfway through practice. Shepard will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.
The X-ray on Sterling Shepard’s thumb revealed a fracture. Shepard will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.
— New York Giants (@Giants) July 25, 2019
Shepard suffered the injury after going for a pass, and as a result, jammed his left thumb. The receiver left shortly afterwards to receive an x-ray.
Entering training camp, the fourth-year wide receiver had high expectations placed upon him. After the team traded Beckham to the Cleveland Browns, Giants head coach Pat Shurmur essentially anointed Shepard as the team's new No. 1 receiver.
There is some hope that Sterling Shepard could be ready for the start of the season, if all goes well. Or at least, he won’t miss much time https://t.co/BHjIAuTXIy
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2019
Luckily for Shepard, the injury occurred early on in training camp. Ordinarily, a broken thumb takes at least six weeks to heal. If the receiver doesn't suffer any setbacks, the Giants' expect him to be a full-go for their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
With Shepard likely out for the remainder of the summer, that leaves the Giants with Golden Tate, Russell Shepard, Corey Coleman, Cody Latimer and sixth-round pick Darius Slayton on the wide receiver depth chart.