Graham Gano’s Uncertain Status for Giants vs. Eagles

Graham Gano’s return might not be as certain as hoped. The Giants have him listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Eagles due to a groin issue, which certainly stirs memories of previous losses tied to his ongoing health struggles and the team’s lack of backup plans.

At 38, the former Pro Bowler claimed after practice on Friday that he feels “great” and is ready to play.

But how can he ease fans’ worries that his comeback after a four-game hiatus might lead to more complications? “That’s not true,” Gano stated. “I’m going to play soccer.” An interesting choice of words, perhaps.

Head coach Brian Daboll mentioned that the team might consider activating Gano from injured reserve while promoting Koo Yong-hoe from the practice squad as a precaution. It’s not common to have a second kicker actively on the roster, but in this case, it could help the Giants sidestep potential pitfalls.

“If we have to, we’ll do it,” Daboll remarked. “If Graham is healthy and comfortable and the medical staff is happy with that, we wouldn’t do it.”

The deadline for the Giants to make a decision on Gano is 4 p.m. on Saturday. Currently, he has a perfect record this season—6 out of 6 field goals and 4 out of 4 PATs—without any backup plan in place.

Meanwhile, kicker Jude McAtamny has had a rough time lately, missing three PAT attempts over the last two games, including a critical one that cost the team a win against the Broncos with just seconds remaining.

“It’s up to the coach,” Gano commented, acknowledging the situation with the other kicker and punter Jamie Gillan.

In another note, linebacker Kayvon Thibodeau, who made headlines after expressing strong feelings against the Eagles during a recent postgame interview, said he’s not concerned about what others think. “I don’t think I did that,” he told the Post. “I have to go play.”

Injury updates reveal that cornerback Paulson Adebo (knee) and defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (neck) won’t be participating in the game, while safety Jevon Holland (knee) is still questionable.

Besides Gano, outside linebacker Brian Burns (hip) and DTDJ Davidson (ankle) share the questionable status as well.

On the Eagles’ side, they’ll be missing wide receiver AJ Brown (hamstring), center Cam Jurgens (knee), and two former Giants: cornerback Ad’ree Jackson (concussion) and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring).