Jason Pierre-Paul “Not Ready,” Won't Play Against Cowboys

Two months after a July 4 fireworks accident left New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul hospitalized and facing the amputation of his right index finger and a couple days after he met with team officials for the first time since that accident, head coach Tom Coughlin has declared that the Baylor product is not ready to play.

Pierre-Paul won’t play in the opener against the Cowboys on Sunday night, and has returned home to South Florida.

“As you know, JPP was here for a couple of days,” Coughlin said Wednesday. “Went through all the medical. Was in an outstanding frame of mind. Was not ready to play, returned to South Florida. Optimistic about going forward and feeling better, and continuing to work toward being able to come back. So we’ll monitor that.”

That JPP won’t play doesn’t come as much of surprise, of course. Before this week, the team hadn’t so much as been in the same room as Pierre-Paul since the accident. But ultimately, Coughlin came away from his time with Pierre-Paul this week feeling good.

“I think the fact that he came in the way he did, Mr. Personality, was there and he felt good about himself, obviously, and where he’s been,” Coughlin said. “He’s worked pretty hard. We actually saw a tape that showed him working. He’s done a lot of conditioning type work. So I don’t think there’s anything to worry about there. Obviously, it’d be great if he was all healed and ready to go, but he’s not.”