Justin Pugh is back with Giants, may play Sunday vs. Bills

For Justin Pugh, it may be that everything old is new again. 

He’s back with the Giants, on the practice squad.  

On Wednesday, he participated in a full padded practice for the first time in a year. 

Pugh was the Giants' first-round draft choice in 2013 and spent five seasons with the team before leaving for Arizona. 

He could be activated for Sunday’s game at Buffalo. 

He may need to put rocks in his shoes. 

Pugh said he weighed in at 292 pounds on Wednesday morning. The three guards on the Giants' active roster are all listed at 310. 

There are other challenges. 

“This is why we rotate during camp,” center Ben Bredeson said. “And that takes time.” 

Time is at a premium this week. Pugh said how he feels Thursday, after practicing with the scout team, will be telling as it pertains to his availability on Sunday. 

In the meantime, Pugh said he continues to study the playbook, talk with coaches and gel with teammates. 

 “So much goes into it besides just playing football,” Pugh said. “You’re five guys working as one. I don’t want to step in there and mess up the camaraderie, mess up anything like that. I just met all these guys for the first time last week. We got a lot of work to do and we’re doing it.” 

In the Giants' sixth game, the offensive line will have its sixth combination on Sunday night in Buffalo. 

That is not ideal. 

“If I’m going to be part of the active 46 on gameday, I have to be [ready],” Pugh said. “If someone had to tie their shoe and had to come out for a few plays, I have to be able to go in. I don’t know how that decision is going to go, that’s above my pay grade. I have to be able to do whatever they want me to do.” 

By Kimberly Jones

kimberly.jones@newsday.comkimjonessports

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.