The New York Giants have endured several head-scratching injury sagas in 2023, from left tackle Andrew Thomas to quarterback Daniel Jones.
The most recent mysterious update involved right tackle Evan Neal, who was ruled out for the remainder of the year because of his nagging ankle sprain. Except, it wasn’t an ankle sprain.
“Giants right tackle Evan Neal has a fracture in his left ankle, which is why he’s having surgery, the Daily News has learned.” NYDN reporter Pat Leonard revealed on December 29. “Neal’s Nov. 5 injury in Las Vegas initially had been diagnosed as a left ankle sprain.”
“GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll had expressed optimism that Neal, 23, would be able to return to games this season,” Leonard explained. “He had even started working on the side of practices. But the Giants abruptly shut Neal down and put him on injured reserve on Christmas Eve.”
“This is why Evan Neal’s season ended early,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan weighed in.
Giants Fans Fed Up With Medical Staff After Evan Neal Injury Update
After news of Neal’s fracture made the rounds on social media, Giants fans went after the NYG medical staff on X.
“BRO FIRE THE ENTIRE MEDICAL STAFF,” a popular Big Blue podcaster voiced. “Like what are we doing here? What happened to a Sprain???”
BRO FIRE THE ENTIRE MEDICAL STAFF. Like what are we doing here? What happened to a Sprain??? https://t.co/TgWZAwKL81
— Monte (@MONTECRI5TO) December 29, 2023
Several comments agreed. “Malpractice. Makes you wonder what else they’ve got wrong this year,” one user wrote.
Another said: “How did they miss a fractured ankle??? Something sounds amiss about this! Do we know exactly what bone was fractured that was not apparent back in November ???”
“Is there an issue with the medical staff?” A third fan questioned. “Seems they Mis- evaluated the severity of several key injuries this year to [Saquon] Barkley, Thomas and now Neal. Each was out for longer than an IR stint would have been but we didn’t put them IR, I don’t get it?”
Finally, one reply targeted Daboll. “Among many of his flaws, Daboll’s management of injured players has been truly awful,” it stated.
Whether it’s on Daboll or the medical staff, something weird has been going on inside the Giants’ injury management department in 2023 — and it’s been very noticeable that not everyone is on the same page.
At times, Daboll and Schoen have appeared totally lost when it’s come to injuries. Thomas and Neal suffered various setbacks in their recoveries, while Jones was supposedly medically cleared prior to Week 8 vs. the New York Jets despite the head coach ruling him out on Friday.
The franchise has also been hit with rashes of injuries this year, calling the training and conditioning staff into question.
Giants Strength & Performance Director Departs Ahead of Week 17
Just before the Week 17 outing against the Los Angeles Rams, the Giants announced the departure of Craig Fitzgerald, NYG Director of Strength and Performance.
Fitzgerald took a job with the Florida Gators according to Jacob Rudner of 247 Sports and CBS Sports on December 24. Daboll also confirmed this news during his Friday press conference on December 29.
“It’s an important position,” Daboll told reporters regarding Fitzgerald, who was with the organization since 2020. “Fitz has done a great job. It’s an opportunity he wanted to take.”
The Giants HC added that his staff will address the vacancy after the season.
Although Daboll did not say one way or another, it appears Fitzgerald chose to leave — not the other way around.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Craig and his family — his wife, Mary, and sons, Mac, Joe and Luke, to Gainesville and to the UF community,” Gators head coach Billy Napier said via team reporter Rick Hurtado.
“We’re very excited to add Coach Fitz to our team. He brings a significant level of experience in both college and the NFL. He will help each player on our team reach their potential. His reputation precedes itself and we are excited about the leadership he will bring and the impact he will have on our entire organization.”
Later, Hurtado wrote that “during his first year in New York, Fitzgerald’s thorough and consistent analysis and customized training regiments led to the largest reduction of football injuries from the previous season in the NFL in 2020. His approach to prioritize injury prevention helped the Giants finish second in NFC East that season.”
Things have obviously changed quite a bit for Big Blue since then, although Fitzgerald’s departure does not appear to be related to recent injury issues.
