Giants linebacker Markus Golden says he would 'love' to re-sign with team
The Giants' Markus Golden celebrates after sacking Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz during the first half of an NFL game, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke
Markus Golden signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Giants. It seems he has. Maybe too much.
The linebacker leads the team with 9.0 sacks, the most by a Giant since Robert Ayers had 9.5 in 2015, and had been one of the most consistent defenders on the team. By doing so, he may be pricing himself out of any Giants plans to re-sign him.
Golden told Newsday on Wednesday that there have not been any discussions about him returning to the Giants, but he did say he would “love” to.
“It’s been great being here competing,” he said. “Of course it’s been a down year but at the end of the day everybody here has been great people. Everybody is trying to do whatever they can do to win. I know everybody here wants to win. That’s a good sign because I want to make sure I’m able to win.”
The Giants got Golden at a relative bargain -- $3.75 million -- as he came from Arizona after tearing his ACL in 2017. He’s bound to make much more than that as a 28-year-old pass-rusher who, if he gets another in these last two games, will have a second year of double-digit sacks in his career.
“I feel like myself again,” he said. “But like I said all year, I wasn’t worrying about proving it to anybody, I was focused on proving it to myself.”
This offseason, most likely, he’ll get paid for it. Whether it be from the Giants or another team.
Notes & quotes: TE Evan Engram said he will have surgery to put “stability back in the foot” on Friday. Dr. Robert Anderson will perform the procedure in Green Bay, Engram said. While he would not give an exact timeframe for his return, Engram said he will be “more than ready” for the start of training camp … Engram was named the 19th annual recipient of the George Young Good Guy Award as voted on by the Giants chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America … G Kevin Zeitler was limited in practice with an ankle injury that he suffered in Week 14 … S Antoine Bethea was excused from practice for the birth of his child. WR Sterling Shepard’s daughter was born on Tuesday and he was at practice Wednesday.
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.
