It's not that the New York Giants should rescind the franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul -- it's that Big Blue never should've given him that designation in the first place. The events of the past week only serve to hammer home this point.
Long before the 26-year-old regrettably put his future in jeopardy by haphazardly playing with fireworks on the Fourth of July, JPP wasn't worth it.
Now, the only question is, when will he be an ex-Giant? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Next year? Judging by the defensive end's showing on and off the field, I'd argue for immediate action from the franchise.
Can you imagine Tom Coughlin's reaction when he got the phone call last week informing him that his big-name, unsigned franchise player was in the hospital with a serious, firework-related injury? The proverbial steam must've been coming out of his ears, his face even redder than it was on that frigid Championship Sunday in Green Bay back in January of 2008.
You think that was bad? How about the Giantsreportedly finding out at the exact same moment the rest of the world did, via Adam Schefter's Twitter account, that JPP was having his right index finger amputated? What do you think went through the minds of Giants brass when they saw that Schefter had JPP's medical report? This after Pierre-Paul refused to see team trainer Ronnie Barnes, who had traveled down to Miami to check in on him.
You can't make this up.
It was just wrong for JPP and agent Eugene Parker to refuse access to the well-respected Barnes. That's a slap in the face to the organization, the final insult of this embarrassing ordeal. Sure, Pierre-Paul isn't under contract because he hasn't signed the franchise tender. But did he really think that cutting out the Giants before a doctor cut off his finger was a savvy career play? Barnes was there to help. The Giants have connections with elite hospitals in New York and have a fantastic track record of aiding players. Just another foolish decision in a week full of them.
Throughout last winter, I flapped my gums on radio/TV -- and wrote on NFL.com -- that the Giants should let JPP go. Simply let him walk away via free agency. My logic was simple: Pierre-Paul just isn't that good and most certainly not worth the money for the franchise tag or a long-term deal.
Don't get duped by last season's final numbers. You had to watch the games to get the real story. Nine of JPP's 12.5 sacks came in the final five weeks of the season, when the Giants were completely out of the postseason race. Plus, of those five sack-happy games, four came against opponents ranked among the 10 worst teams in the NFL when it came to sacks allowed. So, essentially, he loaded up the stat sheet against inferior competition, when it mattered the least.
Since his transcendent, 16.5-sack 2011 season, Pierre-Paul has been a model of inconsistency and injury. Honestly, it seems like he hasn't made an impactful play in the last three years. And even when you factor in that spectacular sophomore campaign, JPP's overall résumé leaves plenty to be desired. When you crunch the numbers and analyze statistical production of defensive ends across the league since 2010 -- the year Pierre-Paul entered the league -- you come up with an uninspiring comp for JPP: his old teammate, Justin Tuck. Take a look:
Tuck since 2010: 36.5 sacks, 264 tackles, 80 QB hits and 14 passes defensed in 74 games.
JPP since 2010: 42 sacks, 276 tackles, 73 QB hits and 28 passes defensed in 75 games.
The Giants rightly let the aging Tuck go during the 2014 offseason, and he signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Oakland Raiders. JPP would laugh at that money. He ignored a $60 million standing offer from the Giants, a long-term deal which the team has now withdrawn.
Forget the blazing start to JPP's career. Ever since, he's become a non-factor. He's become Justin Tuck at the end of Tuck's career. He doesn't produce like a guy who's worth $60 million over the long haul. He doesn't produce like a guy who's worth a $14.8 million franchise tag in 2015.
And now, you can't trust him off the field.
Playing a position that involves a whole bunch of hand play, JPP now has to operate with one less index finger. Can he be the same player? NFL Media's Kimberly Jones reported Pierre-Paul also has a broken thumb, an injury that could take up to six weeks to heal. Looks like he won't even be able to practice until late August, at the earliest.
A week ago, I thought the 2015 Giants, with a poor defense and plenty of question marks, projected to about eight wins. Feeling exactly the same way now.
Tom Coughlin's future and Eli Manning's contract will be hot topics in New York. The Giants don't need more drama this year.
JPP's foolish antics only underscore the feeling I've had for quite some time now about the erratic pass rusher:
It's time to say goodbye.
Follow Adam Schein on Twitter @AdamSchein.
