New York Giants tight end Evan Engram hears the boo birds from home fans and trade rumors from the media as he plays out the final year of his rookie contract.
Despite the possibility that a new environment with less scrutiny could help his career, Engram has zero interest in jumping ship.
“I’m not the type of person to want to tap out or be anywhere else just because there’s some adversity or things that aren’t going the way we want them to go in general,” Engram told Pat Leonard of the NY Daily News. “So, of course, I want to be here. It’s my job to be here. It’s my job to come in here and work. This team is my family, we’re in adversity and going to war and trying to fix this thing. So yes, I want to be here, and I really don’t want to be asked. That shouldn’t be a question to anybody here.”
Engram’s desire to remain a Giant as the Nov. 2 trade deadline approaches is so strong he resented being asked about the rumors.
“I don’t really understand why y’all ask that type of question, like [you think] you’re gonna hear, ‘No, I don’t want to be here.’ That’s never gonna come out of my mouth,” Engram told Leonard. “That shouldn’t come out of anybody’s mouth that’s here. My job here is to play football. I’m a New York Giant. People in this building believe in me. They believe in us.”
The fifth-year tight end understands why the rumors about a possible trade are circulating. Despite owning an enticing skill-set, Engram continues to struggle with consistency and plagued by drops.
The former first-round pick, voted to the Pro Bowl in 2020, has 14 catches on 21 targets for 127 yards and no touchdowns in four games played through Week 6.
With the Giants adding Kyle Rudolph this offseason, the end appears near for Engram in New York. Whether that comes before the trade deadline or in free agency is the biggest question at this moment.