Giants place Kyler Fackrell on injured reserve
Kyler Fackrell at Giants training camp on Sept. 1, 2020. Credit: Giants.com/Matthew Swensen
The Giants placed yet another edge rusher on injured reserve on Tuesday, this time adding Kyler Fackrell to the list for at least three weeks with a calf injury he sustained on Sunday. He joins fellow outside linebackers Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines there, both of whom have had season-ending surgeries.
They also traded Markus Golden to the Cardinals in October.
"In our room, we’ve had a lot of transition, different guys popping up," outside linebackers coach Bret Bielema said on Tuesday. "People look at it as a negative but I look at it as a positive because as a coach you are always on your edge. You have a chance to bring new people in and evolve and rotate, find out their strengths, minimize their weaknesses, and hopefully have good results."
The loss should mean an increased role for veteran Jabaal Sheard and rookie practice-squadder Niko Lalos, both of whom made impact plays against the Bengals after Fackrell left the field. Sheard had the strip-sack on the final play to seal the win, while Lalos had an interception in the third quarter. The Giants also have rookie draft picks Carter Coughlin and Cam Brown at the position.
Giant steps
WR coach Tyke Tolbert said Darius Slayton is dealing with an ankle injury but despite having him on the sideline at times on Sunday insisted it is "not bothering him in any shape, form or fashion" … TE Kaden Smith, OT Matt Peart and WR Dante Pettis were activated off reserve/COVID-19 and are eligible to return to practice on Wednesday … Secondary coach Jerome Henderson, who watched Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf catch 10 passes for 177 yards against the Eagles on Monday night, said the best way to stop him may be to stop his quarterback, Russell Wilson. "You hope that the pass rush is really fired up and they’re after him, chasing him around so he doesn’t have clean shots at the guy," Henderson said. "He’s such a big man and so fast that he is a problem downfield."
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.
