Kadarius Toney set to return to Giants practice Thursday
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney (35 catches, 392 yards) has been hampered by COVID for most of his rookie season with Giants. Credit: Mike Stobe
Kadarius Toney was the first player to land on COVID/reserve with a positive test when the latest wave of the pandemic hit the Giants. He’ll be the first to return from it when he rejoins the team on Thursday.
Whether or not the rookie first-round pick is ready to get back on the field, though, remains a mystery.
Toney had missed three games with quad and oblique injuries before he tested positive for COVID.
"In terms of where he is at physically from the injury he’s been dealing with as well as the COVID, we’ll have to see where he’s at and see when we get him on the field," Joe Judge said on Wednesday. "We haven’t seen him for over a week now so we have to see where is physically when he comes back."
The Giants received the results of Toney’s positive COVID test last Monday while flying home from Los Angeles and tried to isolate him on the team plane as best they could. In the following days, though, eight other Giants landed on COVID/reserve after testing positive. The latest was special teamer Keion Crossen who was added to the list Monday. Judge said the Giants have not had any further positive tests since then.
Toney, because of a number of various injuries and setbacks, has played just nine games this season and caught 35 passes for 392 yards. Judge noted that many of the issues that sidelined him have been "out of his control." That includes the very first matter that affected him when the Giants first reported.
Toney tested positive for COVID at the start of training camp, too. Back then his full recuperation from the effects of the virus took several weeks and cost him most of the preseason. Depending on how quickly he can get back into shape now — a shape that was already hampered by more traditional physical injuries — it may bookend his season and cost him the end of his rookie season as well.
Notes & quotes: RB Gary Brightwell (neck) and OL Ben Bredeson (ankle) were the only Giants who were listed as non-participants in Wednesday’s walkthrough practice; RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), FB Cullen Gillaspia (shin), DL Austin Johnson (foot), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), LT Andrew Thomas (ankle) and DE Leonard Williams (triceps) were limited.
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.
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