Despite a report from late Sunday night indicating that New York Giants mammoth defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was possibly in danger of losing his hand due to an unfortunate accident involving fireworks, it seems the most recent report paints a slightly rosier, if still somewhat troubling, picture.
Pierre-Paul, per Dan Graziano of ESPN, via Adam Schefter, did suffer fairly significant injuries due to the mishap, but they are not severe enough to put his NFL life in jeopardy.
"The 26-year-old former first-round pick was examined by doctors after being hospitalized for his injuries, which are not believed to threaten Pierre-Paul's career, the sources said," per Graziano and Schefter.
"A source told ESPN.com that Pierre-Paul has severe burns on his palm and tips of three fingers, and one finger is being tested for nerve damage. He didn't lose any fingers, and doctors believe there will be no permanent damage or disfigurement of his hands."
That certainly isn't great news for a player who relies on the strength of his punch and the power in his hands to fend off opposing offensive lineman as he works his way to the quarterback, but it's much better than the prior reported alternative.
Andy Slater of WINZ.com, who reported that JPP was possibly in danger of losing his hand, was the first to report on Saturday afternoon that Pierre-Paul had "severely injured" his hand in a fireworks accident.
The 26-year-old Pierre-Paul finished last season with the Giant lead in sacks (12.5) and forced fumbles (3). For his career he's amassed 286 tackles, 42 sacks and eight forced fumbles. He's already dealt with a plethora of injuries in his short five-year NFL career, mostly associated with his lower back.
The Giants slapped Pierre-Paul with the franchise tag, worth $14.813 million, this offseason, as his rookie NFL contract came to a close and he and the team were unable to agree on a long-term deal.
Pierre-Paul has not yet signed his tender, meaning the team could hypothetically rescind it and allow him to become a free agent. That, however, seems highly unlikely, especially given the lack of established talent along the Giants defensive line and even after an incident such as this.
The prospect of JPP ever signing a long-term deal with New York however, may have taken a serious hit.
