Zak DeOssie, Giants long snapper, placed on injured reserve
New York Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie (51) looks on during an NFL preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015. Credit: Steven Ryan
It’s the kind of position that doesn’t get noticed unless you mess up. Or, in this case, get injured.
Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie, who has handled the duties since his rookie season of 2007 without missing a game, was placed on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday. DeOssie appeared on the injury report with a wrist injury over the weekend but played Sunday against the Jets.
To fill the key spot, the Giants signed Danny Aiken, a long snapper for the Patriots for the previous four seasons. He appeared in 63 regular-season games and was the long snapper against the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.
DeOssie’s placement on injured reserve leaves Eli Manning as the only active Giant who has been with the team since the Super Bowl XLII season. Safety Craig Dahl also was on that team and came back to the Giants this season after playing with several other teams.
DeOssie is in the final year of his contract with the Giants.
The Giants also put tight end Larry Donnell on injured reserve. Donnell had been sidelined by a neck injury since the Nov. 1 game against the Saints. Cornerback Tramain Jacobs, who was active in two games this season and on the Giants’ practice squad, was promoted to take Donnell’s place on the 53-man roster.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
