Jason Pierre-Paul Won’t Have Surgery, Expects To Play In 2019
The last we heard, it was looking like Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul might miss the entire 2019 season. Pierre-Paul was involved in a serious car accident last week that resulted in a severe neck injury. Fortunately, things appear to be headed in the right direction. 
Pierre-Paul will not have surgery, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport posted in a follow-up tweet that Pierre-Paul “expects a midseason return.” The original reporting was that the injury was likely to require surgery, and likely to knock him out for the whole year. With surgery no longer an option, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets “the plan is to recheck” on Pierre-Paul’s fractured vertebra “at the 4-month mark.”
Pelissero also writes the “expected timeline is 5-6 months, if not sooner,” on when he’ll return to the field. As Greg Auman of The Athletic pointed out in a tweet, four months from JPP’s injury would coincide almost exactly with the time when the Bucs would need to decide whether or not he’ll open the season on the 53-man roster or the non-football injury list.
From a football perspective, it’s a huge blow for the Bucs. In his first season in Tampa last year Pierre-Paul had a very productive season, notching 12.5 sacks, the second-highest total of his career. The team is expected to either release or trade Gerald McCoy, so the defensive line was already going to be thin even before JPP’s injury.
The Bucs were hoping for a revitalized defense in the first year of the Bruce Arians era, and this certainly isn’t what they were looking for. If he can return on the early side of the 5-6 month timetable, he could be back in October and only miss the first month or so of the season. We’ll keep you posted on the situation.
Latest On Jason Pierre-Paul
The car accident in which Jason Pierre-Paul was involved may keep him out of football in 2019. But JPP and the Buccaneers are not conceding that yet.
Pierre-Paul requiring surgery for the neck injury he sustained would keep him out up to six months, putting his 2019 availability in question. Upon looking at JPP’s scans, the Buccaneers grew concerned the edge rusher suffered a fractured vertebrae in his neck, James Palmer of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). But JPP is seeking out several other medical opinions.
JPP plans to send the results of those tests to “several” other doctors this week, per Palmer, who adds hope remains that surgery will not be necessary and that the ninth-year player could be back in time for Week 1.
“While Jason was treated and released in south Florida the same day of the accident, we wanted to ensure that our medical team had an opportunity to perform a thorough evaluation here in Tampa, and that process is currently ongoing,” Bucs GM Jason Licht said.
The Bucs received a 12.5-sack season from Pierre-Paul in 2018, it doubling as Tampa Bay’s double-digit sack season since 2005. He obviously remains a key figure in Tampa Bay’s defense — even as it moves to a 3-4 look, a scheme in which JPP has not played as an NFLer. Tampa Bay drafted a pass rusher, Iowa’s Anthony Nelson, but waited until Round 4 to do so. The Bucs signed Shaquil Barrett this offseason. Prior to the injury, JPP was not attending Bucs offseason workouts.
This marks the second major off-field injury for JPP, who suffered severe hand damage in a 2015 fireworks accident, and the second straight offseason in which the Bucs have dealt with an off-field injury. Kendell Beckwith did not play last season because of an ankle injury sustained in a car accident.
With Pierre-Paul’s $7.5MM injury guarantee becoming a full guarantee in March, the Bucs have little recourse here when it comes to the salary cap. But it’s certainly possible the team looks for another pass rusher in free agency. Gerald McCoy is expected to be released, if no trade can be reached, freeing up $13MM in cap space. The Bucs hold just $1.8MM in space, so they would have to create some space before pursuing one of the UFA edge rushers.
Bucs’ Jason Pierre-Paul Could Miss Season
The early word after Jason Pierre-Paul‘s car crash indicated that he was not seriously injured. Unfortunately, that no longer appears to be the case. The Buccaneers defensive end may be in danger of missing the entire season due to a neck injury suffered in the accident, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 
At this time, the belief is that Pierre-Paul will require surgery, which would almost certainly rule him out for the year. Pierre-Paul led the Bucs with 12.5 sacks last season, but the club will need to find pass rush pressure elsewhere in 2019.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that an off-the-field injury has held JPP back. On July 4, 2015, Pierre-Paul lost his right index finger in a fireworks accident. To the surprise of many, he bounced back to register 15.5 sacks across 28 games in the following two seasons. Hopefully, Pierre-Paul can rebound similarly after his neck malady.
Roughly half of Pierre-Paul’s $14.9MM salary for 2019 became guaranteed in March, so the Bucs have little recourse here when it comes to the salary cap. They also have very little in the way of cap flexibility, so it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to get in on the bidding for Ezekiel Ansah and other impact edge rushers left on the market.
Bucs’ Jason Pierre-Paul Involved In Car Accident
Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was involved in a single-car accident early Thursday morning, which TMZ first reported. The team has since confirmed the news.
Luckily, it appears that JPP was not seriously hurt. He did, however, seek medical attention at a South Florida-area hospital, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com writes. GM Jason Licht issued the following statement:
“We have been informed that Jason was involved in a one-car accident early this morning in South Florida in which he was not cited. We know that he was evaluated at a local hospital and has since been released. Our immediate concern is for the safety and well-being of Jason and his passenger. We have been in contact with Jason and will be getting him further evaluated by our medical staff in the near future.”
As Licht notes, Pierre-Paul did not receive a citation, and TMZ indicates that he wasn’t speeding or otherwise engaged in any wrongdoing. It was simply an accident.
This sounds like it will have a much happier ending than JPP’s last offseason incident, in which a fireworks accident ultimately led to the amputation of his right index finger.
As Greg Auman of The Athletic observes, this is becoming sort of a Buccaneers family tradition (Twitter links). Last spring, LB Kendell Beckwith was involved in a car accident that forced him to miss the entire 2018 campaign and that has put his career in jeopardy. The year before, RB Doug Martin was in a car accident, though he did not sustain any serious injuries as a result.
Pierre-Paul posted 12.5 sacks for Tampa Bay last season, his first with the Bucs, and he will be counted on to spearhead the club’s pass rush again in 2019. Laine notes that JPP has not been in Tampa for the Bucs’ offseason program, opting to spend time with family instead, just as he did last year.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Brown
With Landon Collins and Olivier Vernon out of the picture, the Giants‘ defense has plenty of needs. Second-year GM Dave Gettleman has also jettisoned Jason Pierre-Paul, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Eli Apple and Damon Harrison from the team since taking over. Collins’ reputation as a box safety, albeit one of the best in the NFL, looks to have played into the Giants’ reasoning for refusing to use an $11MM-plus franchise tag on him, with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY noting the team did not always believe the All-Pro defender was an adequate cover man. Gettleman considered the contracts handed out to both Pierre-Paul and Harrison as onerous, and Vacchiano adds neither Pro Bowl player was viewed as a plus locker room presence. That said, the Giants have one of the least talented defenses in the NFL, boasting deficiencies at nearly every spot going into free agency. It would seem that would be where Gettleman looks to improve in the next two months.
Here is more out of the Big Apple and the latest from the NFC East:
- While the Giants already have two monster contracts on their offensive line now, having acquired Kevin Zeitler‘s $12MM-AAV deal, they are going to pursue a right tackle in free agency. Big Blue will “almost certainly” add a right tackle on the market, per Vacchiano, who adds former Gettleman draftee Daryl Williams may be a top target. Williams was a fourth-round Gettleman pick in 2015 but is coming off an injury-nullified season. The Giants tried to sign former Gettleman find Andrew Norwell last year, so Williams will be a name to monitor in the coming days.
- Sean Lee‘s Cowboys restructure will slash his 2019 salary from $7MM to $3.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Although Lee has seen younger linebackers replace him as Dallas’ go-to second-level defenders, the Cowboys will keep the veteran around. One season remains on Lee’s contract.
- If the Raiders are now the team to beat regarding Antonio Brown, the Eagles should not be completely discounted. Philadelphia is the other destination CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora is hearing in the Brown sweepstakes as of Saturday (Twitter link). The Eagles have been hard at work clearing cap space; they are north of $24MM now — before Michael Bennett‘s $6.2MM salary comes off their books. It would be interesting to see the team clear so much off its roster to add a player who has produced so much drama, but the Eagles have not been averse to splash moves in recent years.
- Connected to a safety upgrade for many months, the Cowboys may opt to seek second-tier options at this position. Extensions for their homegrown standouts may price the Cowboys out of the high-end safeties on this year’s market, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys remain connected to Earl Thomas, and Richard Sherman said recently his former teammate would choose Dallas if the offers were equal. Another report confirmed no discount was coming. But they may well not end up being equal, complicating this long-rumored partnership. But plenty of safety help will be available next week.
Buccaneers Notes: Monken, Koetter, Pierre-Paul, Jackson, Hargreaves
The Buccaneers’ offensive explosion in Week 1 caught pretty much everybody by surprise. The Bucs scored 48 points and won fairly easily on the road in New Orleans. Ryan Fitzpatrick had one of the best games of his career, throwing for 417 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Although it was mostly the same personnel from previous seasons, there was at least one major change. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken was calling plays instead of head coach Dirk Koetter according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. Koetter had always called plays during his time in Tampa Bay, but relinquished the play calling duties to Monken after he excelled in the role during the preseason. If Week 1 is any indication, it doesn’t look like Koetter will be asking for the responsibility back anytime soon.
Here’s more from Tampa:
- The injuries just keep piling up for the Bucs on defense. Vernon Hargreaves was recently placed on injured reserve, top corner Brent Grimes‘ status is still unclear, and now star defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has a knee injury according to Laine (Twitter link). Pierre-Paul told Laine his knee was “jacked up” and that while he hopes to play this Sunday he’s “not really sure” if he’ll be able to.
- The injuries aren’t only on defense. Receiver DeSean Jackson is in the concussion protocol according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). In addition to the concussion, Jackson is nursing a minor shoulder injury and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to go Sunday against the Eagles, although at this point it looks like he’ll probably play assuming he clears the protocol.
- It was reported earlier this week that Hargreaves would miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, and now more details are in. The 11th overall pick of the 2016 draft has a torn labrum according to Laine. Although he struggled his first two years in the league, Hargreaves reportedly had a very strong camp to win the starting job, and it’s a huge blow to the Bucs’ already thin secondary.
NFC Notes: Beckham, Rams, Pierre-Paul
Lots has been written about Giants All-Pro wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and his contract. Beckham has stayed away from the team this offseason as he angles for a longterm deal. He’s also still rehabbing from a devastating ankle injury that cost him most of the 2017 season, but expects to be fully cleared soon.
The ankle may have something to do with why the Giants have been slow to engage Beckham in extension talks, writes Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Vacchiano thinks the Giants want Beckham to prove he’s fully healthy and capable of being the same explosive player he was before the injury before they commit to him longterm, writing in regards to his ankle “yes, that is one of the reasons contract negotiations haven’t really gotten going.”
Vacchiano thinks it “would be crazy to give Beckham the kind of money he wants – perhaps $20 million per year, perhaps as much as $60 million guaranteed and $100 million total – without being absolutely sure he’s fully healthy and the same player.” It will be interesting to see if the Giants do indeed play hardball with Beckham, and Beckham’s situation will surely be one of the biggest stories in the league this summer.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Jason Pierre-Paul didn’t show up for a single OTA practice, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter said it wasn’t a huge deal that Pierre-Paul didn’t show up, but it’s certainly not ideal for a team that traded two draft picks to acquire the defensive end. Laine did report that Pierre-Paul is expected to be with the team for their mandatory minicamp.
- The Rams are the only remaining defendant in Reggie Bush‘s lawsuit after the city of St. Louis was dismissed from the case, according to Joel Currier of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Bush is claiming the Rams are responsible for slippery concrete that caused him to suffer a season-ending knee injury when he was with the 49ers.
- In case you missed it, it appears that David Johnson and the Cardinals may soon iron out an extension for the star running back.
Giants Trade Jason Pierre-Paul To Bucs
The Giants are trading defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and a 2018 fourth-round pick to the Buccaneers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Giants will receive a 2018 third-round pick and a fourth-round pick in the deal. 
The move comes as a total surprise as we have not heard any rumblings of JPP not being in the Giants’ plans for the coming season. But, there’s a new regime in New York headed by GM Dave Gettleman and coach Pat Shurmur and they do not view him in the same light as the last administration. It’s likely that they do not view Pierre-Paul as a fit for defensive coordinator James Bettcher‘s 3-4 heavy scheme.
The Giants inked JPP to a four-year, $62MM deal with $40MM guaranteed roughly one year ago today. He responded by turning in his first complete season since 2014 and tallying 8.5 sacks with 68 total tackles. The advanced metrics indicated that it was only a so-so season for him and Gettleman’s review of the game tape conferred.
Still, Pierre-Paul is undeniably a high-impact player and he’ll now join a revamped and upgraded Bucs defensive line. This year, the Buccaneers signed Vinny Curry to hold down one defensive end spot and added Beau Allen at defensive tackle. Pierre-Paul now joins the group and those three new faces plus Gerald McCoy will give the Bucs one of the most talented defensive lines in the entire NFL. Tampa Bay also has former second-round pick Noah Spence and former Bears DE Mitch Unrein in support.
The Buccaneers tried to trade for Rams edge rusher Robert Quinn, but ultimately lost out to another Florida team. Less than three weeks later, they managed to land a different superstar defensive end.
The deal figures to have major implications for the Giants’ offseason plans. The G-Men now have additional cap room to work with in the second wave of free agency and their draft plans could radically shift. It’s possible that the Giants will consider Bradley Chubb at No. 2 overall rather than selecting Eli Manning‘s successor. They could also trade down if they believe they can land a pass rusher plus a quality QB later on.
The Giants will now own the fifth pick in the third round (No. 69 overall) in addition to that round’s second pick (No. 65). In the fourth round, the Bucs move up to No. 102 overall while parting with the No. 108 selection.
[RELATED: Buccaneers Depth Chart]
Giants Notes: Abrams, Apple, Shepard, JPP
The Giants interviewed interim general manager Kevin Abrams for the team’s full-time position yesterday, lengthening a list of candidates that already includes Giants VP of player personnel Marc Ross, former Giants executive Dave Gettleman and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick. While Abrams had spent the majority of his career as a salary cap guru, he’s focused on proving that he can also build a winning roster.
“My role has been more than just doing the cap stuff,” Abrams told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.TV. “I wasn’t raised to be a cap guy. It was just the opportunity that was given to me and I was grateful of the opportunity. And the Giants do a great job with everyone — not just me, but we’re all encouraged to grow professionally. And like everyone else, I was getting a lot of opportunities to do that and I tried to take advantage of them whenever I could. A lot of that included being involved with our personnel departments.”
While Giants owner John Mara may be seeking major “wholesale changes,” sources told Vacchiano that Abrams is a serious candidate for the gig. The writer notes that the organization could choose to pair the interim general manager with someone like Gettleman.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the Giants organization…
- While many attributed cornerback Eli Apple‘s tumultuous season to immaturity, Dan Duggan of NJ.com explored the true root of the player’s issues. Ultimately, the reporter attributed the problems to “strife in Apple’s family,” particularly a falling out with his stepfather, Tim. “One of the biggest reasons Eli is declining so much this year as opposed to last year is (Tim’s absence),” Apple’s half-brother Dane Blackson said. “I know everyone always talks about the fame and all of the attention and how all of that can go to your head. But you have to imagine that from middle school to the NFL, Tim was there. Tim made this whole thing happen. Tim didn’t miss a game. Whenever Eli looked for that support, that was always there. Now, this year whenever he goes to look for support, it’s not real, it’s not genuine.” Duggan dug more in Apple’s family issues in a must-read article.
- While the 2017 season hasn’t gone as planned for the Giants, one player has emerged as a major piece of the organization’s future. Zach Braziller of The New York Post writes that wideout Sterling Shepard has emerged as a “a future organizational linchpin.” The 2016 second-round pick is on pace to surpass his rookie numbers, as he’s hauled in 54 receptions for 686 yards and two scores. “I was ready to take it on,” Shepard said of the added responsibility. “You don’t expect for your top two receivers to go down. It kind of just throws a lot of weight on you. I’m a second-year player but kind of forced to take that leadership role because I’m the guy in that room with the most experience.”
- Jason Pierre-Paul revealed that he’s recovering from a broken finger, although he expects to play this weekend against the Cardinals. Neil Best of Newsday.com believes the defensive end suffered the injury during his early-December matchup against the Raiders.
East Rumors: Williams, Patriots, JPP, Jets
Trent Williams has encountered a patella issue, one that caused him to briefly exit Monday night’s Redskins-Chiefs game. The Pro Bowl left tackle will not need surgery to correct the problem, but Williams is “week-to-week,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Washington has not ruled Williams out for its Week 6 game, per Rapoport. The eighth-year tackle underwent an MRI on Wednesday, and the exam ruled out a long-term injury. A near-future absence would obviously cause issues for the team. Swing tackle Ty Nsekhe is out after undergoing core muscle surgery, so the drop-off if Williams can’t go against the 49ers could be significant.
Here’s the latest from the Eastern divisions, shifting to New England.
- Rob Gronkowski extended his streak of seasons without 16-game participation to six by missing Thursday night’s Patriots-Buccaneers tilt with a thigh injury, but the Pats expect their all-world tight end back by Week 6, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The same goes for Rex Burkhead, per Schefter. Burkhead hasn’t played since Week 2, but the team is expecting its newly acquired dual-threat back to be available against the Jets next weekend.
- Missing Thursday’s game will deprive Gronkowski of collecting the $10.75MM salary the Patriots set as his ceiling on the now-incentive-laden 2017 arrangement. By failing to play in 90 percent of the Pats’ snaps this season, Gronk is in danger of falling to the $8.75MM tier of his contract, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald notes (on Twitter). The 28-year-old tight end could still rise back to that top tier, but he’d have to earn first-team All-Pro honors. That’s obviously still in play for Gronkowski, a three-time All-Pro, but he will have to make it through most of the Pats’ remaining regular-season games to be strongly considered for such acclaim. He will need to play on 80 percent of New England’s snaps this season or total 1,000 receiving yards or 12 touchdowns to earn $8.75MM. The salary drops to $6.75MM if Gronkowski can’t meet one of those benchmarks.
- A sprained shoulder has put Jason Pierre-Paul‘s Week 5 availability in question, but the Giants defensive end said this issue is not new for him. He intends to play against the Chargers, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post reports. JPP said he’s been dealing with shoulder problem for “a while.” Both Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon missed Thursday’s practice, and with Vernon leaving early with an ankle injury the past two weeks, Big Blue’s other starting defensive end is in danger of missing his first NFL game in a six-season career.
- The Jets could be down nickel cornerback Juston Burris on Sunday after the No. 3 corner hurt his foot in practice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. With fellow reserve corner Darryl Roberts unlikely to play in Cleveland, the Jets could be scrambling here if Burris can’t go. New York, though, still has veteran Marcus Williams in the event the younger talents can’t play behind Morris Claiborne or Buster Skrine. A former steady contributor on whom the Jets placed a second-round RFA tender, Williams has not played a defensive snap this season. Both Burris and Roberts have played 90.