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The New York Giants had a bit of a scare in practice over the weekend, with star outside linebacker and defensive end Olivier Vernon suffering an ankle injury that required him to get carted off the field.
According to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network, tests on the injury revealed that he is dealing with an ankle injury, but he could be ready to play by the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
#Giants star pass-rusher Olivier Vernon, who was carted off during practice yesterday, suffered just a sprained ankle based on initial tests, I’m told. Two weeks until the opener, so there is time to get Vernon ready. It may be close.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2018
The Giants dodged a major bullet with Vernon, as his injury can be managed over the next couple of weeks. He will be out for the final preseason game and likely the rest of training camp. The Giants hope that he can be on the field for the season opener, but there is no reason to risk pushing him and possibly causing the injury to linger.
Since inking a five-year, $85 million deal, Vernon has been a huge source of reliability along New York's defensive line, registering 15.5 sacks in his first two campaigns while notching at seven in each year. He did experience a notable drop in his overall production in 2017 with just 38 total tackles, but he was limited to playing in just 12 games due to injuries. Vernon has a chance to bounce back this upcoming season, which could start off a bit slow given this setback.
New York is counting on Vernon to be one of the anchors defensively in helping the team bounce back after a disappointing 2017 season. He has the task of filling the void left by the departure of former Pro Bowler Jason Pierre-Paul over the offseason in a trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. These next several days will be indicative of where his health will be for the season opener.
