Giants TE Darren Waller says he 'felt better at practice this week'
Giants tight end Darren Waller stands on the sidelines during the second half of an NFL preseason game against the Panthers on Aug. 18 at MetLife Stadium. Credit: AP/Bryan Woolston
In what ranks as good news, Giants tight end Darren Waller said the hamstring issue that came to light last week is basically a non-issue this week.
Waller was added to the injury report last Friday with a hamstring issue. He did play against the Cowboys, making three catches for 36 yards.
Waller said Thursday he is back on his normal routine.
“Back to feeling good in practice,” he said. "Felt better this week at practice than I did last week so that’s all you can ask for.”
Waller said after the loss to the Cowboys that he has “a nerve issue” in his hamstring.
Coach Brian Daboll said Waller “will essentially be given a day off each week” in hopes of keeping him healthy and on the field.
Waller suggested that he sometimes trains too hard, which leads to issues.
The Giants leave Saturday for their first road trip of the season. They will play at Arizona on Sunday and at San Francisco on Thursday night before flying home.
Waller has been part of such trips twice previously and didn’t sound like the biggest fan of the concept. He described it as “uncomfortable” and difficult to maintain routine.
Meanwhile, Waller is still learning about his new team and teammates. He seemed to like what he’s seen this week.
“I feel like this is a team with a short memory,” he said. “That’s something you’ve got to have in this league because things aren’t always going to go the way you want them to. This past game was very unfortunate, as far as the results are concerned, and it’s not the start we would’ve imagined. But we still have plenty of more opportunities, and I feel like guys took that into account and practiced with a lot of energy this week.”
Extra points
After injuring his hamstring against Dallas, LT Andrew Thomas, the Giants’ best offensive lineman, asked to be on the practice field Thursday. “He's a tough guy,” Daboll said. “He said he wants to come out and do some stuff and see how he feels.” … Wide receiver Sterling Shepard received a scheduled rest day and did not practice … The rest of the injury report included these players, all of whom were limited: tackle Matt Peart (elbow), wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), linebackers Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) and Cam Brown (ankle), defensive backs Deonte Banks (calf), Cor’Dale Flott (hamstring) and Gervarrius Owens (hamstring), and kicker Graham Gano (right ankle).
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
