New York Giants Wide Receiver Becomes Free Agent

The New York Giants could be parting ways with one of their longest-tenured veterans and leaders. Per the Athletic's Dan Duggan, wide receiver Sterling Shepard's contract automatically voided earlier today, rendering him an unrestricted free agent.

When Sterling Shepard took a pay cut last offseason, his new contract included an automatic void three days after the Super Bowl. So he becomes a free agent today. The Giants will carry a $4.3M dead money charge for Shepard in 2023.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) February 15, 2023

Shepard joined the Giants as the 40th overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft and has been with the team ever since. He totalled 4038 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns over 75 appearances for the team. Unfortunately, injuries have sapped him of much of his value over the past two seasons: he accumulated a mere 520 receiving yards at a middling 6.8 yards per target over 10 appearances from 2021 to 2022.

The Giants are the only team Shepard has ever known, and his value isn't particularly high right now, so a reunion in free agency isn't impossible. He's free to look around the league for an enticing offer, but if he finds a cold market waiting for him, he could end up back with the Giants on a team-friendly deal. Having just turned 30 years old, he could also gracefully take a bow and retire.