Graham Gano to have knee surgery; Giants bring in kickers to compete for job
Graham Gano of the Giants reacts after missing a field goal late during the fourth quarter against the Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Graham Gano’s season likely is over, but the search for a suitable replacement was just getting started Friday as the Giants brought in Cade York to compete with Randy Bullock for the kicker’s job.
Gano, 36, who already was expected to go on injured reserve, will have surgery on his left knee, coach Brian Daboll announced, probably ending a tough year in which he went 11-for-17 on field-goal attempts (64.7%), including 3-for-5 on kicks under 39 yards. Gano had a field-goal percentage of at least 78.9% in his previous 10 seasons.
Asked if this would be the end of the season for Gano, Daboll replied in the affirmative, but the kicker said that isn’t guaranteed. Gano added that he has been experiencing significant discomfort for weeks.
“I was given a few options as far as surgeries go and I chose the one that gives me the best chance to get back on the field and help us win games,” Gano said Friday. “Nobody’s told me that [my season is over], but my mindset is always if I’m dealing with some adversity, just attack it and do what I can with it.”
Still, Gano added: “It’s definitely disappointing. The first thing I said a few weeks ago when I popped up on the report was that if I could manage the pain and if I could play well and help the team win, then I’d keep doing it. That was what the reports were saying then on my knee, and things just progressed for the worst.”
Gano declined to disclose the nature of the procedure or the specifics of the injury that he said left his knee unstable and swollen.
After a slate of auditions Thursday, the Giants signed Bullock to the practice squad but also signed York, the Browns’ 2022 fourth-round draft pick, to the 53-man roster Friday, with Daboll saying the two would vie for the spot in the day’s practice. York previously was on the Titans’ practice squad after a tough preseason in which he lost his Browns kicking job to Dustin Hopkins.
York, who played for LSU for three years, missed a kick in all four of the Browns’ preseason games, going 4-for-8. He was 24-for-32 on field goals his rookie year and made 94.6% of his extra points.
York believes that he’s diagnosed his issues and can contribute. He also got some help from Titans kicker Nick Folk.
“I think I had just focused on things that were leading me in the wrong direction,” York said. “I was getting too aggressive to the ball and kind of causing some issues. I wouldn’t say I was ever in a place where I was losing confidence or [anything] like that just because I was hitting so well in actual training camp and in practice that I figured things would be good when I went out there, and something wasn’t clicking.”
Thomas, Neal closer
The Giants are saying there’s a chance.
In addition to getting back Daniel Jones, Daboll said there is a possibility that the Giants finally will field some semblance of their preferred offensive line, with tackles Andrew Thomas (hamstring) and Evan Neal (ankle) getting closer to a return. Both were limited and listed as questionable.
“It was a great feeling to just be out there in practice [Friday],” said Thomas, who’s been out since being injured in Week 1. “We’ll see [if I can play]. This is the most I’ve done . . . If I respond well [to practice], I could have a good chance.”
Injury report
QB Tyrod Taylor (ribs) and TE Darren Waller (hamstring) didn’t practice. RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) and LB Kayvon Thibodeaux (back) were limited.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
