Injured New York Giants Wide Receiver On Track to Play Season Opener

New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard isn't messing around. The long-time Giant declared himself ready to go for Sunday's season opener against the Tennessee Titans. Jordan Raanan of ESPN NFL Nation shared the quote:

Sterling Shepard fully plans on playing in opener vs. Titans. "Ready to go," he told ESPN.

Shepard returned to practice just over 2 weeks ago. He will be back in game action less than 9 months after tearing his Achilles. His personal goal this year is to play 17 games. #Giants
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 6, 2022

Should Shepard truly be ready to go, it will mark a startling and speedy recovery from an Achilles tear suffered in December of the 2021 season. He'll join a receiving corps in flux that includes Kadarius Toney, who is also recovering from an injury, as well as Darius Slayton, who has been the subject of trade rumors for much of training camp, and Kenny Golladay, who has sparked whispers of release despite just last year signing a massive four-year, $72 million contract.

Shepard joined the Giants as the 40th overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft and has played all six of his seasons with the team. He has shown himself to be a consistent and reliable pass catcher when healthy, averaging between 50 and 60 yards per game in each of his past four seasons. His stated goal to play 17 games this season is a meaningful one, seeing as he's missed 25 appearances over the past five years. If healthy, he'll bring some much-needed stability to a Giants offense seeking a new identity under first-year head coach Brian Daboll.

The Giants face the Tennessee Titans this Sunday in their regular season opener this Sunday.