Justin Pugh is getting close to returning for the Giants
New York Giants guard Justin Pugh has been dealing with a back injury lately that has caused him to miss the past two games. Although it is unlikely that he plays against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, he should be ready to return by Week 14.
The New York Giants have had plenty of problems on the offensive line so far this season, which is why the return of Justin Pugh will definitely help give this unit some relief. Fortunately, it appears as though he is getting close to returning.
Pugh has been dealing with a back injury since Week 6, and it got worse during the Giants loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10. The injury sidelined Pugh in Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs and in Week 12 against the Washington Redskins.
Tom Rock of Newsday reported that Pugh had said on Wednesday that he hoped to practice on Thursday. However, Pugh called it “an outside shot” for him to play against the Raiders this week.
Pugh said yesterday he hoped to practice today but called it a "outside shot" to play on Sunday. Said next week vs. Cowboys is "more realistic."
— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) November 30, 2017
It seems very unlikely that Pugh will play on Sunday, as he did not end up practicing on Thursday, as reported by Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.
Giants WR Sterling Shepard (migraines) was practicing.. DT Damon Harrison (elbow), LB Jonathan Casillas (neck) and OL Justin Pugh (back) were not.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) November 30, 2017
The good news is that there is a decent chance that Pugh will play next week when the Giants host the Dallas Cowboys. He seems optimistic about his chances to return for that game. Having Pugh back would give the Giants offensive line a huge boost.
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When he does return, Pugh will be protecting a different quarterback than he is used to. With the Giants announcing earlier this week that Geno Smith will be the starting quarterback against the Raiders instead of Eli Manning, Pugh will now be protecting Smith. There is also a chance that the Giants will start rookie Davis Webb before the end of the season.
Where Pugh returns is also a question. Pugh has played both left guard and right tackle this year. Since Pugh’s injury, the Giants found a good guard combo of John Jerry and D.J. Fluker but Fluker has been placed on injured reserve, opening a hole back up at guard. As for right tackle, undrafted rookie Chad Wheeler has been less than stellar replacing Pugh.
Pugh is listed as the starting right tackle on the New York Giants depth chart so that is the more likely position for him to play when he’s healthy.
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The Giants offensive line would really benefit from having Justin Pugh back, and it looks like he will be making his return soon.