The New York Giants nearly did the impossible Monday night by taking down the Kansas City Chiefs.
But the effort just wasn’t enough and a 20-17 defeat sent them to 2-6 in the standings.
Injuries have been a problem all year and the Giants were once again without Saquon Barkley on Monday.
That left Devontae Booker to carry the load out of the backfield.
The receiving corps has been hit hard as well and Sterling Shepard is a big name who has struggled to stay healthy all year.
He was on the field Monday, but suffered another injury and is reportedly out this weekend.
This is a tough blow to a team that is headed too far in the wrong direction.
WR Sterling Shepard is expected to miss some time with a quad strain suffered Monday night vs. the Chiefs, per sources. Giants have the Raiders on Sunday and then their bye. So some time to get healthy. Still, the injury hits to their playmakers keep coming.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) November 3, 2021
A Rough Year For Shepard
Shepard is in an important season even if he has two years remaining on his current deal.
His dead cap value drops to $7.9 million in 2022, meaning the Giants could move on if they feel he is not a part of the future.
So far this season his problem has been staying on the field.
Shepard played one game in October and is now out in November after pulling in four catches in his team’s latest loss.
His injury also adds to the lack of depth as Kenny Golladay is having a tough time staying on the field as well.
According to @JordanRaanan, Sterling Shepard (quad) is expected to miss some time
The last time Kadarius Toney manned the slot in Shepard’s absence, this is what happened 🛫 pic.twitter.com/K97LxCU5Kq
— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) November 3, 2021
The storyline to follow with the Giants is if both GM Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge make it to 2022.
The bad injury luck could buy them both some time to at least get another shot next year.
However, teams all over the NFL deal with injuries so the Giants are not some exception.
Ultimately, Shepard and plenty of players on the Giants join Gettleman and Judge in not knowing what their future holds with the organization.
NEXT: Joe Judge Has Strange Admission That Is Affecting His Timeouts