The New York Giants have stumbled a bit out of the gate to the 2018 season that has put them to yet another rough start to the year for the second straight campaign.
However, the team could be in line to get some much-needed help along the defensive front with outside linebacker Olivier Vernon making progress in his recovery from the high left ankle sprain that he voiced to Pat Leonard of The New York Daily News that he's nearing a return from the ailment that could be as soon as Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
For while Vernon was limited in Monday’s practice by his high left ankle sprain, he upgraded his status from “optimistic” last week to “very optimistic” in a conversation with the News.
“I want to be out there being able to perform,” Vernon, 28, told the Daily News. “If I could just get — nobody’s ever 100 percent — but if I could just get to where I feel comfortable, where I won’t be a liability, then I’m gonna go out there and be with my team and be able to contribute. And that’s it.”
Vernon has yet to play a single game this season due to the injury that he suffered back in training camp back during the preseason. His absence has been felt defensively as the Giants have struggled to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks ranking last in the league with just six sacks through the first five games played.
The 28-year-old has proven to be a major asset in that department with his ability to get to the quarterback as one of the Giants primary pass rushers the last two years as he has notched 15.5 sacks over that span. The departure of Jason Pierre-Paul over the offseason has led to more impact felt in that area, but Vernon was expected to provide that stability but hasn't been able to due to the injury.
These next couple of days will be quite telling of his availability for Thursday's game against the Eagles in what will be a pivotal meeting between both teams.
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