It will be a while before Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul lands on the playing field again, but that won't stop him from working out in the interim.
Pierre-Paul had his index finger amputated after a Fourth of July weekend fireworks accident that caused plenty of ancillary damage to his hands. When we last heard from the Pro Bowler, he was back in Florida after the Giants determined he was not ready to play.
On Tuesday, he gave us a glimpse of a workout that did not feature any use of his hand, but did show the hand in motion, free of a bulky cast. He was on an artificial turf field pulling a weighted sled.
In the video caption, Pierre-Paul still seems hopeful the injury drama will be behind him soon.
"God can turn any situation around for the better. Your hard times will lead to the best times of your life. Don't believe the hype ... Be back soon! #90PC #ImAFighter #PutMeInCoach."
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, per a source who has been speaking with the player, that Pierre-Paul has no more surgeries scheduled after last week's skin graft and a minor procedure to clean out his middle finger, which necessitated stitches. The Giants and JPP will touch base again in about a month, but the healing on his hand is going well, per Rapoport.
The focus now is on regaining the range of motion on Pierre-Paul's other fingers, per Rapoport, who added the piece missing from his thumb is far above the joint. A source who had been in contact with him told Rapoport he believes JPP will have full use of his thumb when it heals.
One of the Giants' biggest worries -- weight loss -- was certainly on display here. Pierre-Paul could not lift weights and therefore dropped what looks to be a decent amount of weight.
That being said, he's still one of the most dynamic defensive players in football when he's healthy. That is something coaches cannot teach, and with this video, Pierre-Paul showed he hasn't lost it.
