Golden Tate, Blake Martinez exit Giants' practice with injuries
Giants wide receiver Golden Tate III (15) runs with the ball during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, NJ, on Tuesday, Aug 18, 2020. Credit: Brad Penner
Two starting players left the field with apparent injuries on Monday, making it a contender for the costliest practice of training camp. Wide receiver Golden Tate and linebacker Blake Martinez did not complete the workout and it is unclear just how long their situations will linger.
Tate wound up leaving the field altogether and returning to the team’s temporary headquarters across the parking lot at MetLife Stadium after grabbing at his right hamstring early in the practice. He injured himself lunging for a deep pass from Daniel Jones in one-on-one route-running drills.
Martinez, who missed two days of action last week but returned to practice fully on Sunday, came out about halfway into Monday’s practice. Trainers appeared to be working on his ankle or foot. Joe Judge had not disclosed Martinez’s previous injury, so it is uncertain whether this is a new issue or a setback from the old one. Judge did say on Sunday that Martinez was “fully healed” from what had been keeping him out previously.
Judge spoke to the media before practice and did not address the injuries afterward.
The Giants also had defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh on the sideline for most of practice with a heavy ice wrap on his left ankle.
Notes & quotes: Nick Gates, who is learning a new position at center and is competing for the starting job there with Spencer Pulley, said his relationship delivering the ball to Jones is “coming along.” “It’s always tough to get under there and get used to a QB,” Gates said. On Monday, though, the two botched a snap and had to run a lap together. Who’s fault was that? “A lot of times we each take the blame for that,” Gates chuckled. “We don’t want to throw each other under the bus. We’ll go ‘That was me’ and ‘That was me’ and then we both end up doing a lap” … LB Devante Downs popped RB Sandro Platzgummer to the turf in practice. Despite being the last man on the roster as an international player exemption, Platzgummer had plenty of players come to his defense including stars Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard. Some shouting and shoving ensued but was quickly broken up.
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.
