Wide receiver Sterling Shepard is the true embodiment of the credo “once a Giant, always a Giant.”
So, when we read that he was on a list of players who could request a trade this year, we were more than a bit curious.
In a recent article in Bleacher Report, Alex Kay believes Shepard will not be willing to take a backseat to all the younger wideouts the Giants have brought in recently such as Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell, Wan’Dale Robinson, and rookie Jalin Hyatt.
Not to mention veteran wideouts Cole Beasley and Jamison Crowder, and two other projects in Collin Johnson and Bryce Ford-Wheaton.
While Shepard was one of several pass-catchers on this team who went down with injury last year, the 30-year-old’s 14-game absence in 2022 came on the heels of missing 10 contests the previous season. Shepard has had just two fully healthy campaigns in his seven NFL seasons, the most recent of which came back in 2018.
Shepard should be considering a fresh start, especially if he isn’t able to come away from training camp with a feature role in New York’s offense. There might be some suitors willing to roll the dice on his health, hoping to get a consistent wideout who can help a squad win if he’s able to stay on the field. Franchises like the New England Patriots or Houston Texans — both in desperate need of competent pass-catchers — could come calling if Shepard asks to be moved.
The fact is, Shepard is going nowhere. It’s Giants or bust for him as he said earlier this summer.
“I don’t want to play anywhere else,” Shepard told the New York Post. “I want to retire a Giant. So yeah, I don’t think I would go play anywhere else. I do burn to play, and that’s a tough question because I feel like I still have something in the tank and this is what I love to do.
“Fortunately, I never had to sit down and make that decision. I hope I’m never forced to make that decision. I’ve given this place everything I have every time I step on that field.”
The Giants have also made it clear they want Shepard around. That consensus travels from those who work around MetLife Stadium all the way up to co-owner John Mara himself, who has previously stated he wants to find a role for Shepard post-retirement.
End of story. The Giants will include the 30-year-old in their plans and he takes pride in being a mentor to the younger wideouts.
