Darian Thompson using bye week to complete recovery
New York Giants safety Darian Thompson (27) makes a catch during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, July 31, 2016. New York Giants Training Camp. Credit: Steven Ryan
As the Giants players disperse for the bye week with some heading home and others going on vacations with their family, at least one of them will remain in New Jersey and keep showing up to work each day.
“I’ll be around here,” rookie safety Darian Thompson said, “to continue with my treatment and rehab and stuff.”
Thompson, the Giants’ starting safety, has not played since injuring his foot late in the game against the Saints in Week 2. Now, though, he appears to be on the verge of returning. On Tuesday he did some linear running for the first time and expects to be on the practice field with the team when they return to workouts on Monday.
“That’s the plan,” he said. “Hopefully it goes according to plan.”
Thompson said he feels as if he could practice this week; it’s just that the team doesn’t have any of them for him to participate in. He said he felt comfortable in the running he did on Tuesday. Once he gets back on the practice field, he thinks it won’t take long to get back into the games. He said he expects to play against the Eagles on Nov. 6, but understands that is not entirely his decision to make.
“I feel like the bye week couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for me,” he said. “Just looking to get healthy and get back out there once we get back.”
It’s been a long, difficult stretch for Thompson missing five straight games.
“It’s coming to an end, though,” he said. “It’s coming to an end.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
