​Although several New York Giants players flashed potential last season, the year was also hampered by injuries to a number of important contributors. First-year standouts like Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo showed promise as long-term building blocks, yet they were in and out of the lineup while battling injuries. And the Giants are still waiting for good news on Malik Nabers, hoping to see him back on the field well before Week 1 this fall.
More recently, another Giants player has sustained an injury that typically sidelines a player for an entire season. Yet the team remains hopeful that a season-ending diagnosis can be avoided. On May 21, during a voluntary organized team activity practice, 32-year-old defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris tore his Achilles tendon. The initial expectation was that the 17-game starter from last season would be out for the year. But that prognosis may change.
According to The Athletic’s Giants insider Dan Duggan, the Giants have refrained from placing Robertson-Harris on injured reserve, hoping he can recover late in the season. There is precedent for such a return; last May, Giants safety Ar’Darius Washington tore his Achilles with the Ravens but managed to come back in Week 15. If the Giants believe they have a realistic shot at a playoff push, it would make sense to keep a roster spot available for Robertson-Harris as well, right?
Not so fast, though. “The Giants have resisted putting Robertson-Harris on injured reserve after he tore his Achilles in a May 21 OTA practice. Harbaugh said they’re holding off on that season-ending designation because Robertson-Harris could return late in the season. There’s precedent, as Giants safety Ar’Darius Washington tore his Achilles last May as a Raven and returned in Week 15. The question is whether it will be worth preserving a spot on the 90-man roster until cut day for Robertson-Harris, who was slated to start but isn’t a difference-maker.” That’s the assessment from The Athletic’s Dan Duggan.
The Giants have also added several other defensive linemen since trading Dexter Lawrence in the offseason. It’s possible that one or two of these additions will leave a lasting impression, thereby diminishing the impact of Robertson-Harris’s absence. If so, the team could decide not to cling to a valuable roster spot for a nine-year veteran entering the final season of a two-year, $10 million contract. For now, however, the organization remains hopeful that Robertson-Harris’s rehabilitation progresses on schedule and signals a swift return.
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