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New York Giants: Is It Time To Move On From Jason Pierre-Paul?

By Kenneth Teape

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The New York Giants have a 3-3 record thus far this season. They could be 6-0 if not for so many mistakes against themselves, but at 3-3 they are still right in the thick of the NFC East hunt. One of the biggest problems they have had this season has been in the pass rush, as they haven’t gotten to opposing quarterbacks with any ease. One player that could help in that area is Jason Pierre-Paul.

The Fourth of July incident that is keeping Pierre-Paul from the Giants has been well documented, and he is set to come in for another planned visit. The first one did not go as planned for Pierre-Paul, as he believes that he is ready to play but the Giants deemed otherwise. Pierre-Paul is set to make his second visit with the team to see if he is any closer to returning. While there isn’t a set date for the visit, one question that will surely be asked in the coming days is, should the Giants just cut bait and move on from Pierre-Paul?

Pierre-Paul believes he is ready to play, and wants to show the Giants that he is. While he very well may be able to play, the Giants have a big decision to make because of the money that they would have to pay him. That is the biggest obstacle at this point in time, because the Giants cannot afford to pay Pierre-Paul the approximate $817,000 per week that he would be set to earn as the Giants’ franchise player.

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This is a fractured relationship as things currently stand, as the Giants do not have much trust or faith in Pierre-Paul and vice versa. The Giants are disappointed in how Pierre-Paul handled the injury over the summer, not allowing their doctors to see him. Pierre-Paul on the other hand is disappointed that the Giants slapped the franchise tag on him, and still has some hard feelings about his back injury from the 2013 season.

This has caused a standoff of sorts between the two parties. The franchise tender is still on the table for Pierre-Paul to sign, but that would then put him at the Giants mercy more than he already is. If he signs the tender, he would have to pass a physical to earn any money, something that is far from guaranteed with what we have heard about his hand and the shape that it is in.

With Pierre-Paul unlikely to sign that tender unless he has some sort of guarantee from the Giants about passing a physical, the two can agree to a lesser contract. These negotiations aren’t taking place yet, as Pierre-Paul needs to be cleared to play before they can. While Pierre-Paul would be earning a lot less money than originally thought, this is probably the best option for both sides. Pierre-Paul would make some money, while the Giants will not be stuck paying a premium price for a player that may no longer be able to play a premium level.

The only other option for the Giants is to take the franchise offer back, making Pierre-Paul a free agent. This is probably the least liking option, as there is very little reason for the Giants to just let Pierre-Paul walk. All the other options would result in them keeping Pierre-Paul at a reduced price; the last thing they want is Pierre-Paul signing somewhere else and coming back to beat them.

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While some people would argue that the Giants should just get rid of Pierre-Paul and cut their losses, that would make little sense. They hold all the cards in this power struggle, and should retain that for as long as they can. If Pierre-Paul does not want to negotiate for a lower price, then it is his loss as the Giants will just retain his rights for next season as well. 

The deadline for Pierre-Paul to sign the tender and play this season is November 17th. There is a good chance this issue is resolved by then, as Pierre-Paul would run the risk of being powerless again next season. If he wants to get out from under the Giants’ control as soon as possible and control his own destiny, he will agree to a lesser price for this season.

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If he does not do that, we could be having this discussion for plenty of months about what the GIants should do with him. While cutting bait and being over with the situation would be the simplest and easiest thing to do, the Giants will not cave and give Pierre-Paul what he truly wants, a shot at a long-term contract, without at least first seeing what he is capable of after the injury.

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The Giants are wielding all of the power in this situation and giving in to Pierre-Paul would make no sense. Expect the GIants to eventually come out ahead in this situation by either getting out of paying Pierre-Paul at all, or getting their former All-Pro back at an extremely reduced price.

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