Giants get Sterling Shepard back for Kansas City game, but what about their other injured playmakers?

The worst part about missing Sunday’s game against the Panthers with a hamstring injury he suffered late last week?

"That was supposed to be me throwing it," Sterling Shepard said of the pass that was eventually tossed by wide receiver Dante Pettis to Daniel Jones.

On Thursday, though, whatever regrets still lingered were overshadowed by the joy he had of being back on the field. Shepard was with the team, dancing through drills, and practicing plays for Monday’s game in Kansas City. He’s one of the four offensive playmakers for whom the Giants have been crossing their fingers this week, hoping they might be able to return for the upcoming game, and so far the only one who has been well enough to participate in a workout with the full team.

When it comes to their injured stars, in other words, the Giants have a quarter back.

They’re still holding out for more.

"They’re making good progress as a group," Joe Judge said of Saquon Barkley (ankle), Kenny Golladay (knee) and Kadarius Toney (ankle), all of whom spent the practice working on the side with trainers. "We’ll see where it goes. I’m pretty optimistic about it."

Optimistic about them playing on Monday?

"I’m optimistic about how they are working and how they are coming along," Judge said. "I couldn’t give you a full gauge on Monday right now, but in terms of maybe getting them out to practice [Friday] and getting them some reps, I’m feeling good about that."

Judge has said several times that the long week is a benefit to their rehab schedules. The Giants have full practices on Friday and Saturday before traveling on Sunday. Having any of the three remaining injured skill position players participate would be the next step in their progression toward Kansas City. Or, if they are unable to be on the field in the coming days, an indication that the Giants will go into this prime time game without their prime time personnel.

"Everybody is super anxious to get back out there," Shepard said. "This is what we love to do, go out there and perform. Not being able to do that, it stinks man. Everybody is doing what they have to do, listening to the trainers. Guys are eager, but you have to listen to your body at the same time. It’s hard."

In the meantime, the Giants have been practicing with roughly the same understudy lineup they had last week… with the addition of Shepard of course. Wide receivers Pettis and Collin Johnson were spotted taking extra reps with Jones after the workout was finished on Thursday.

"We’re going to have ball practice today, and we need to have receivers and linemen and tight ends and backs out there going and we believe in the guys that we have," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said before Thursday’s shorthanded workout. "If we’re able to get some of the other guys back, we’ll plug them in and we’ll go. We have to be nimble on the call sheet."

The Giants clearly thought Barkley and Golladay would be ready for the game when they decided not to place either on injured reserve after they were both hurt against the Cowboys. They have already missed two full games. Had they gone on injured reserve they would have been eligible to come off after three. In other words, after this Kansas City game.

"Those guys are controlling their preparation and their rehab as best they can," Garrett said. "They’re trying to get back as fast as they can. When they come back, there’ll be a place for them."

Garrett extolled the work done by the backups and noted they are preparing hard for Kansas City.

"That being said," he added, "guys are starters for reasons."

With the Giants this year, there seem to have been more reasons for them not to start than there are to do so. Perhaps that will start to change in the coming days.

Barkley, Golladay, Toney, Shepard, Darius Slayton and Evan Engram have missed a combined 12 full games already (plus the parts of the games in which they were injured, usually early on in the action) and all played together just once. This week they lost their third different captain to a season-ending injury with Jabrill Peppers joining Blake Martinez and Nick Gates in that group.They have used seven different starting offensive lines in the first seven games.

"I don’t know the status of those other guys," Shepard said, "but I can answer for myself. I’ve been feeling great lately."

That’s a start.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

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.