The scan results came back and brought good news for the Giants.
Two of the team’s young offensive linemen, starting center John-Michael Schmitz and backup tackle Evan Neal, left the team with injured ankles in Saturday’s 10-6 loss to the Jets in the preseason finale.
Both players were optimistic after the game that they had not sustained any serious injuries, but underwent MRI scans as a precaution.
The scans came back positive, according to information obtained by The Washington Post, and both players are expected to be available for the season opener against the Vikings on Sept. 8.
Coach Brian Daboll said he saw Schmitz in the team cafeteria on Sunday.
“He’s doing great,” Daboll said, “I’m not going to give you that information because I want to make sure that what I’m getting from the doctors and the trainers is correct, but he’s walking around fine.”
Neal, like Schmitz, sprained his ankle during the game.
In Neal’s case, there was some uncertainty after he underwent offseason surgery on his left ankle.
Just in time, the Giants are getting healthy again.
Daboll said starting left guard Jon Runyan Jr. (shoulder), potential starting cornerback Cordell Flott (quadriceps) and potential starting rookie nickelback Dru Phillips (ankle) are all expected to return to the field this week, as the Giants will have a few days of training-camp-style workouts before resting over Labor Day weekend.
“They’ll do more than they did last week,” Daboll said Sunday, “or, in Runyan’s case, they’ll do something with the guys that were out.”
Backup quarterback Drew Lock is on the mend after missing the final two preseason games with oblique and hip injuries.
“I think Drew’s going to be OK,” Daboll said. “Again, you can’t make predictions, but he’s trending in the right direction.”
“He really wanted to try some things last week just to see what it felt like, and he really pushed himself to the limit and went out there. He’s a tough young man. And based on how he was feeling, we held back on it. But I think he’s feeling better, so we’ll see how it goes this week.”
Lock’s health could directly impact Tommy DeVito as the Giants must decide whether to keep two or three quarterbacks, after Daboll had two in his first two seasons with the Giants.
“I trust Tommy,” Daboll said.
The Giants released 12 players on Sunday, beginning their descent from 90 to 53, leaving them at 78 players.
The only Joe Sean draft pick to be cut was guard Marcus McKethan, a 2022 fifth-round selection.
The hulking (6-foot-7, 335 pounds) McKethan tore his ACL during his first NFL training camp but returned in 2023 to play in 16 games, starting five of them.
The Giants signed several experienced interior linemen to make McKethan’s position less hazardous.
Other cuts: DL Kyler Bough, CB Breon Borders, CB Christian Holmes, DB Clayton Isbell, WR John Giles, RB Joshua Kelley, LB Trey Kiser, RB Lorenzo Lingard, WR Ayre Assanti.
The full cuts must be completed by Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Daboll confirmed that DL Timmy Horn had a torn Achilles tendon. Horn went down on the first play from scrimmage against the Jets.
The Giants lost Horn and DB Jonathan Sutherland on waiver/injury.
