Mykkele Thompson a casualty of Shane Vereen’s return off IR
New York Giants defensive back Mykkele Thompson participates in drills during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, July 31, 2016. Credit: Steven Ryan
Shane Vereen practiced for the second day in a row and the Giants are very excited about the possibility of adding him to their 53-man roster quickly to get him back into game action. The expectation is that could happen next week.
But while Vereen’s designation as the one Giants player to return off injured reserve this season is being seen as a positive, the news did have a negative impact on at least one member of the team. Second-year safety Mykkele Thompson, who suffered a preseason knee injury and had been working hard for the possibility of a return to action this year while on injured reserve, saw his season end the moment Vereen stepped on the practice field on Wednesday.
“It’s a hard situation,” Thompson told Newsday. “You work so hard just to get knocked back down. You just have to get up and keep on going.”
Thompson, unfortunately, is used to doing that. He sustained an Achilles injury in his first preseason game last summer as a rookie, which cost him the 2015 season. Now his 2016 season is over. All while he has yet to suit up for a regular-season game.
“You see the bigger picture of the whole situation,” Thompson said of Vereen, a more proven player being given the one lifeline from injured reserve back to the 53-man roster. “You understand what’s going on with the team and you understand the while situation. It didn’t come as a surprise.”
Thompson also said he’s not quite ready to play.
“I’m pretty close,” he said. “Not there yet but close enough.”
Just close enough to be disappointed, it seems. So Thompson will do the only thing he can do, which is continue to work on rehabbing and strengthening his knee and try again in 2017.
“I want to make sure I can leave here healthy and go on to the offseason [program],” he said.
Maybe the third time will be a charm.
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.
