New York Giants

Report: Jason Pierre-Paul to miss rest of regular season after hernia surgery

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:55 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul’s remarkable comeback season will unfortunately be cut short. Pierre-Paul underwent surgery for a sports hernia Wednesday morning and will miss the remainder of the regular season. The 28-year-old suffered the injury against the Steelers last week.

Pierre-Paul posted this photo on Instagram, confirming the procedure.

This is obviously a huge blow for the Giants, who are just hitting their stride on defense. Pierre-Paul is second on the team with seven sacks, including 5.5 in his last three games. Last year, he had just one sack in eight games after injuring his hand in a fireworks accident during the previous offseason. Though he’ll be out for the final four games, he could return for a potential playoff run, should the Giants make it that far.

With a recovery timetable of six weeks, it likely wouldn’t be until the NFC title game. Second-year pro Owamagbe Odighizuwa should see increased snaps at defensive end in Pierre-Paul’s absence with Olivier Vernon’s play becoming increasingly important.

Pierre-Paul signed a one-year deal with the Giants this offseason, essentially putting him on a prove-it contract. As a result, it’s conceivable he’s played his final game in a Giants uniform, assuming New York doesn’t make it deep enough into the playoffs to see him suit up again. He’ll be a free agent after this season.

With the Dallas Cowboys and their league-best offensive line coming to town, Pierre-Paul’s injury couldn’t have happened at a worse time.