Report: Jason Pierre-Paul loses finger after fireworks accident but still expected to play ‘soon’
New York Giants franchise defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul reportedly had his right index finger amputated on Wednesday following a July 4 weekend fireworks accident, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
But even with the gruesome news of the lost finger, Pierre-Paul’s career might not be in jeopardy. Not at all, per Schefter.
The Giants can’t know what to make of this news because they reportedly are hearing about this after Schefter reported it. The team sent long-time trainer Ronnie Barnes and special assistant (and former player) Jessie Armstead to visit Pierre-Paul in the hospital, but he refused to let them see him. Other reports say that the Giants offered medical help but were rebuffed with that, too.
How Schefter gained the information — even if it was leaked by the Pierre-Paul camp — and reported it is a matter of some debate right now as a possible HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) violation.
But as it relates to the player and the team, we’re heading further into the unknown. Schefter’s report suggest that Pierre-Paul’s condition is not that bad, and we do actually have a history of football players continuing their careers without parts of their appendages.
The most famous is former San Francisco 49ers safety Ronnie Lott. Sickening, but true. Another is Arizona Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson, who might have lost the tip of his finger while running down a punt of all things. Another player, Houston Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus, lost the tip of his finger in a weightlifting accident.
Pierre-Paul was given the Giants’ franchise tag and is due to make $14.8 million on a one-year tender, but he has yet to sign the offer. Could the Giants revoke the offer, thus making him a free agent? It’s possible, as they already have taken a $60 million long-term offer off the negotiating table.
This story gets more bizarre by the day.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
