New York Giants star Nick Gates suffered a horrific leg injury Thursday night ... and it was so bad, he said afterward that he "snapped that s*** in half."
The offensive lineman -- who had just been named a Giants captain for the season -- was attempting to block for Daniel Jones in the first quarter of NY's loss to Washington, when his leg got rolled up on from behind.
WARNING - this is ugly.
I hate doing this, but seeing as the broadcast isn't showing a replay, here's the footage we got of the Nick Gates injury.
In footage of the play, you can see a WFT defender landed right on the back of his leg ... causing it to completely break.
The injury was so bad ... NFL Network did not show a replay of the play.
Gates screamed out in pain for several moments, before trainers and doctors took him off the field and into the locker room on a cart.
Nick is expected to undergo surgery in the D.C. area Friday morning ... and will almost certainly miss the rest of the season.
The good news -- if there can be such a thing with this kind of injury -- Gates was upbeat after it all, with his agent, Jonathan Perzley, saying Nick "laughed on the phone and said 'I snapped that s*** in half.'"
"He will be back," Perzley added. "It would take a lot more than a broken bone to stop that man."
Gates also posted a statement on his social media, promising to return better than ever.
Fantasy football nerds, take note ... Victor Cruztells TMZ Sports Sterling Shepard is about to have a HUGE season for the New York Giants!!
The former Giants superstar made the claim to us out in NYC earlier this week ... predicting the 28-year-old wideout will finally have a breakout year in 2021.
"I think watch out for Sterling Shepard," Cruz said. "I think he's going to be a guy."
Shepard has shown flashes of brilliance in the past -- in his five-year career with the Giants, he's posted 3,518 receiving yards and 20 TDs on 313 catches.
Sterling Shepard kept his balance and still made the catch 🔥 @sterl_shep3@Giants
But, he's never quite had a superstar year just yet ... though Cruz clearly believes that's on the way this season.
"Sterling Shepard is going to be a guy that's going to do some really big things this year that might slip under the radar," Cruz said.
As for Shepard's quarterback ... Victor seems to believe there's a possibility this is Daniel Jones' last year as QB1 in New York, telling us it IS a make-or-break season for the former 1st-round pick.
Eli Manning surprised the hell out of Michael Strahan on Wednesday -- jumping out of a box to inform the ex-NFL star his Giants jersey is being retired ... and the scene was AWESOME!!!
It all went down on the set of "Good Morning America" ... when Eli was rolled into the studio in a giant wooden box to break the news to Michael that no future NY player would ever wear his old #92 again.
GIANT SURPRISE: @michaelstrahan's @Giants teammates Eli Manning, Jessie Armstead and Justin Tuck surprised him this morning to help announce his official jersey retirement! https://t.co/ae9ax6fh6w
Check out the video ... Strahan was shocked to see his former QB -- and he was even more surprised when his ex-teammates Justin Tuck and Jessie Armstead joined in too!
The trio explained to Strahan the honor ... informing the former pass rusher that his jersey retirement ceremony will happen on Nov. 28.
To make the announcement even sweeter, they told Strahan the game will be when the Giants play his old rival, the Philadelphia Eagles.
New York later released a statement on the honor, with Giants president John Mara saying, "He deserves to have his number retired as other Giants immortals have, including Mel Hein, Frank Gifford and Lawrence Taylor."
Mara added, "Michael's career was defined by his achievements, his consistency and his leadership. Very few defensive ends played the position as well as Michael."
Strahan -- a second-round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft -- was a BEAST during his 15-year NFL career ... logging 141.5 sacks -- the most in Giants history and the 6th-most ever in the league.
Strahan still holds the record for the most sacks in a single-season (22.5) ... and he also owns a Super Bowl ring -- one in which he earned by famously beating Tom Brady's undefeated Patriots.
"Michael Strahan was a Hall of Fame player and he is a Hall of Fame person," Giants chairman and executive vice president Steve Tisch said.
"Only the very best players get their jerseys retired and Michael is in that category in Giants history and NFL history, as well."
As we previously reported ... Manning will also have his #10 jersey retired this season, with his ceremony slated for Sept. 26.
"Our hearts are broken. Judy has been everything to our family."
That's Tom Coughlin -- 2x Super Bowl-winning head coach -- revealing the tremendous pain his family felt since his wife of 53 years, Judy Coughlin, was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in 2020.
The 74-year-old coach announced the devastating news on Monday, authoring a guest essay for the NY Times, detailing his year-long struggle as primary caregiver for his wife.
FYI, the Mayo Clinic defines PSP as an "uncommon brain disorder that causes serious problems with walking, balance and eye movements, and later with swallowing. The disorder results from deterioration of cells in areas of your brain that control body movement, coordination, thinking and other important functions."
Coughlin -- who twice beat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl as Giants HC -- says it took doctors years to diagnose the disease that was "slowly taking [Judy] away from us."
Since IDing the disorder, Tom says life has been incredibly difficult for his family.
"For the past four years, we've helplessly watched her go from a gracious woman with a gift of conversation, hugging all the people she met and making them feel they were the most important person in the room, to losing all ability to speak and move," Coughlin wrote.
TC says Judy -- who used to be an active, outgoing person -- now spends most days watching television at home.
"She used to enjoy planning family get-togethers, going for morning walks and caring for her rosebushes; however, those activities are just distant memories. Her days are now filled with lying in bed, watching the Hallmark Channel, sitting in a wheelchair in the sun and receiving round-the-clock care."
"And what's worse, she is trapped inside a body that will not allow her to be the person she was."
Coughlin -- who parted ways with the Jacksonville Jaguars (EVP, Football Operations) in 2019 -- says he's become his wife's main caretaker ... and the switch in roles has been a difficult transition.
"Judy's decline has been nothing but gut-wrenching and has placed me in the club with tens of millions of other Americans who serve as primary caregiver for a loved one. Admittedly, transitioning from being with an NFL franchise to full-time caregiver wasn't easy."
Tom and Judy were married in 1967. They have 4 grown children together and 11 grandkids.
Joe Judge went absolutely ballistic on his Giants players after they were involved in an all-out brawl Tuesday ... punishing them with cuss words, sprints and push-ups!!
It all went down during the Giants' first day of full pads ... after running back Corey Clement got rocked by Jabrill Peppersat the end of a play.
Giants tight end Evan Engram apparently felt it was a somewhat dirty hit, so he jumped in to defend Clement. That's when cornerback Logan Ryan jumped in to defend Peppers, and then all hell broke loose.
Reporters on the scene say EVERYONE got involved in the melee ... with even quarterback Daniel Jones somehow ending up at the bottom of the dogpile!!
Of course, that set Judge off ... with multiple reporters saying the dude completely lost his mind on his players.
Has Daniel Jones ever seen Joe Judge as angry as he was after today's brawl at practice?
Judge made the team run full, 100-yard wind sprints over and over and over again ... and then forced them to do push-ups.
It was so intense, Giants reporter Pat Leonard said it "would not surprise me if someone starts puking here."
Judge eventually called the team up to berate them some more over the fracas ... before ending the workout.
Afterward, the Giants insisted it was all nothing more than just a heated practice ... with Jones (who wasn't injured in the brawl) explaining, "Guys certainly got the message today."
A man was shot and killed at a popular cheesesteak joint in Philly on Thursday morning ... and one witness says it all happened 'cause of an argument over the Giants and Eagles.
The general manager of the legendary Pat’s King of Steaks in Philadelphia, Tom Francano, explained the horrifying scene to The Philadelphia Inquirer ... saying a passionate talk in his restaurant line about the NFL turned absolutely terrifying.
"They were arguing and it turned into a fight," Francano said. "One guy grabbed the other guy and got him in a grip, and the other guy pulled out a gun and shot him in the torso."
"It was one shot. The cops came right away."
Police in Philadelphia say it all went down at 12:55 AM ... saying they responded to the scene and found a 23-year-old man with a gunshot wound in his lower back.
Cops say he was rushed to the hospital, but later died due to his injuries. Police added they did arrest the shooting suspect.
"My employees are pretty shaken up," Pat’s owner Frank Olivieri told the Inquirer. "I don't understand what goes through people's minds."
"It's a fricking tragedy when anyone dies senselessly."
Cops say an investigation into the incident is currently underway.
No one in NY Giants history will EVER wear the #10 again ... the team just announced it's honoring Eli Manning by officially retiring his old jersey number in September.
The Giants say the ceremony will go down on Sept. 26 ... and the team says it'll also put the former star quarterback in its Ring of Honor as part of recognition that day as well.
"It's a great honor and just an unbelievable feeling," Manning said after the Giants broke the news Monday. "I don't know what the emotions will be that day. I know they'll be high, though."
"To have that feeling and that final goodbye, a true goodbye to the fans, and to thank them for supporting me during my 16 seasons here, it's going to be special."
Eli played his entire career for the Giants from 2004 through 2019 ... famously winning two Super Bowls with the team while also earning four Pro Bowl selections.
Manning threw for 57,023 yards and 366 TDs ... and is widely considered one of the franchise's greatest players ever.
The team also announced Monday it's hired Manning into a front office role ... explaining the ex-QB will now have special assignments involving business ops and fan engagement.
"For 16 seasons, Eli represented and defined what it meant to be a Giant and we are excited for him to join the business side of our front office," team honcho John Marasaid.
"Eli is one of the most beloved players in Giants history. We had a mutual interest in him returning to the organization and we're thrilled to welcome him back."
Jim Fassel -- the former NFL head coach who led the NY Giants to Super Bowl XXXV -- has died ... and his ex-star player, Michael Strahan, is heartbroken.
Fassel passed away Monday in Las Vegas after suffering a heart attack following chest pains, his son, John, told the L.A. Times.
And, when Strahan was asked about his former coach on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday ... the ex-pass rusher explained he was crushed to learn of the passing.
"Just a great man, great coach and he will be missed."@michaelstrahan reflects on his time with former Giants coach Jim Fassel who has died at the age of 71. pic.twitter.com/jBZMevSw8A
"Just a great man, great coach," Strahan said of Fassel. "And, he will be missed. But, I was definitely shocked this morning to find out this news and I just wanted to send my love and condolences to his family."
Strahan continued, "Great man. I enjoyed every minute with him as my coach and after my career when we continued to stay in touch and talk."
Fassel joined the Giants as an assistant coach in 1991 and later became the head coach in 1997, when he won NFL Coach of the Year honors.
Fassel eventually took Strahan and the G-Men to Super Bowl XXXV in the 2000 season ... where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens.
Fassel was fired in 2003 after piling up a career 58-53-1 record ... but he still went on to be an offensive coordinator for the Ravens before wrapping up his coaching career as the head man for the United Football League's Las Vegas Locomotives.
The good -- Saquon Barkley's recovery from a nasty ACL injury is going well!!
The bad-- the Giants' co-owner, Jon Tisch, is not sure if the star running back will be able to suit up in Week 1.
TMZ Sports spoke with Tisch out at Michael's in New York City earlier this week ... and he told us he's pleased with what he's heard about Barkley's rehab so far.
But, he added he doesn't know if the 24-year-old will be able to begin the season on the field.
You'll recall ... Barkley shredded his knee during the Giants' game against the Bears on Sept. 20, 2020, and had to have surgery to fix the issues just a few days later.
Barkley has seemed optimistic about his chances to play in NY's opener -- which is set for Sept. 12 against the Broncos -- even posting an impressive workout video last month showing off his recovery.
Still, it's clear the Giants have no plans to rush him back ... with Tisch telling us "don't know, don't know" when we asked if the tailback would be ready to go in September.
There's more ... Tisch sounded fired up about his team's free-agent acquisitions and the draft -- and he even praised Daniel Jones, calling the signal-caller "a terrific quarterback."
Terrell Davis is issuing a stern warning to Saquon Barkley ... saying if the injured running back returns too early from his ACL injury, it could have DIRE consequences.
The Hall of Famer explained it all to TMZ Sports ... with Davis telling us when he rushed back early from a knee injury following the 1999 season -- it cost him A LOT.
"For me, I tell players coming back from an injury is sometimes you have to protect yourself from yourself," Davis says. "And, what I mean by that is we're very competitive and we want to come back and beat the timeframe."
"So, if the doctor says it's a six-week or six-month recovery -- whatever it is -- our minds is, 'I'm coming back in half that time. I'm coming back in three weeks or three months.'"
Davis continued, "I remember coming back and I thought I was ready to play and I was really trying to get back on the field but I think long term it hurt me."
Davis says if he had just taken the extra time to ensure he was 100 percent, the ending of his career could have gone MUCH differently.
"I always tell players," Davis says, "'Listen, I understand you feel like you're ready to come back, make sure you're sure. Make sure that you're ready to come back because you can do more damage if you come back prematurely than if you wait.'"
Barkley tore up his knee back on Sept. 20, 2020 ... and he's been rehabbing and training like a mad man to get back on the field ASAP.
In fact, the 24-year-old just posted video of some of his workout sessions last month ... showing he's already jumping off his injured leg.
It's all a great indicator that Barkley should be ready for the Giants' season opener in September ... but Davis is making it clear, Saquon NEEDS to listen to his body fully before he straps on the pads again.
TMZSports.com
As for what Davis is up to in retirement ... he spoke with us about his company launching its new 9.5 pH Alkaline water -- and you gotta see how fired up he is about the latest venture!
This is the kind of content Giants fans needed -- here's video of Saquon Barkleytraining like a mad man just 6 months after his ACL surgery ... and the NFL star looks GREAT!!!
The 24-year-old running back suffered the devastating, season-ending injury to his right knee in a Week 2 matchup against the Bears last September ... which Barkley referred to as "probably the weakest moment of my life."
But, #26 has been rehabbing like a maniac in Arizona in hopes of getting back to 100% in time for 2021 ... and this new update is an AWESOME sign for the G-Men.
Barkley posted 2 videos of his intense workout on Thursday -- both focusing on that right knee -- and he looks like the freak athlete he was prior to the injury.
The 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year showed off his foot speed with some ladder drill work and followed up with some right leg lunge leaps -- where he practically jumps out of the building!!!
Barkley previously told the "Hotboxin'" podcast with Mike Tyson he was an emotional wreck after the injury ... spending several days crying to himself following the incident.
But, he's vowed to come back stronger and better than ever -- and so far, it looks like Barkley's holding up his end of the deal.
Nick Chubb and Saquon Barkley both think they can out-squat each other ... and there's only one way to solve this:
NFL STAR SQUAT SHOWDOWN FOR THE AGES!!!
The Cleveland Browns running back was answering questions during an AMA with Bleacher Report this week ... when he was asked straight-up -- who would win in a squat-off between the 2 stars.
"It'd be me," Chubb said. "Don't let his leg shots fool you."
Shots fired!!
But, Saquon didn't let Chubb run his mouth without clapping back on Twitter Friday saying, "@NickChubb21 STOP THE CAPPPPP!😂😂😂😂"
Now, these 2 dudes are absolute FREAKS in the gym -- especially when they're working on their legs.
3:59 PM PT -- NY Giants head coach Joe Judge just went scorched-earth on the Eagles -- and Doug Pederson -- saying they straight-up disrespected the game by tanking on Sunday night.
UPDATE
Ya gotta watch the video ... but Judge essentially says this year has been especially taxing on players, coaches and families -- and Pederson should be ashamed of his efforts for not repaying his players by doing everything possible to win the game.
UPDATE
"To me, you don't ever wanna disrespect those players and our effort, disrespect the game. The sacrifices they've made to come into work everyday and test before coming in, to sit in meetings spaced out, to wear masks, to have shields over those masks ... to go through extensive protocols, to travel in unconventional ways, to get text messages at 6:30 in the morning telling 'em practice will be canceled, we have to do a virtual day. To tell them please don't have your family over for Thanksgiving, please avoid Christmas gatherings, we know its your wife's birthday, let's make sure we put that one off to the off-season."
UPDATE
"To disrespect the effort that everyone put forward to make this season a success for the National Football League ... to disrespect the game by going out there and not competing for 60 minutes to doing everything you can to help those players win -- we will never do that as long as I'm the head coach of the New York Giants."
The New York Giants are PISSED the Eagles kept them out of the playoffs with an apparent tank job Sunday night ... with one NYG star straight-up callin' Philly's actions "sickening."
Here's the deal ... after NY beat the Dallas Cowboys Sunday morning, all they needed was a Philadelphia win over the Washington Football Team to lock up a postseason spot.
But, the Eagles didn't appear to take their game with WFT seriously at all ... they rested nearly every one of their star players -- and even benched QB Jalen Hurts before the pivotal 4th quarter even began.
"Al, I couldn’t have done it," Collinsworth said on the broadcast. "I couldn’t have done what Philadelphia did."
"I simply just could not have done it. You’ve got men out there that are fighting their guts out trying to win the game. And, I’m not saying -- I’m not blaming anybody. I, personally, could not have done what they did."
Philly ended up losing a very winnable game, 20-14 ... and while the scene was playing out, the Giants were HEATED.
Receiver Darius Slayton said on Twitter, "Why on gods green earth is Jalen Hurts not in the game." He later wrote, "This is sickening."
Star running back Saquon Barkley added, "Can someone make it make sense to me what’s going on....?"
NY Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garretthas tested positive for coronavirus -- forcing the team to cancel Thursday practice.
54-year-old Garrett -- former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys -- will not call plays for the Giants when they take on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, so he can focus on his recovery, the team announced.
Instead, Giants tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens-- the former Cleveland Browns head coach -- will take over the playcalling duties this weekend against his former team.
The Giants say they do NOT believe there are other high-risk contacts who may have contracted the virus from Garrett because the team did not meet on either Monday or Tuesday due to "the league's most updated protocols."
"At this point, there appear to be no high risk close contacts. We are awaiting confirmation from the league."
The Giants are 5-8 and surprisingly still in the playoff hunt -- only 1 game behind the 1st place Washington Football Team in the NFC East.
That's NY Giants running back Wayne Gallman with a seriously stank allegation against Eli Manning ... claiming the QB hit him with one of the most aggressive crop-dusts of all time.
The 26-year-old RB blew the lid of Manning's putrid secret during a Q&A with NY Post columnistSteve Serby ... when he was asked to recall his favorite Eli memory during their time together in NY.
That's when Gallman dropped this [butt] nugget ...
"I wouldn’t say it was my favorite, but this is my most memorable -- we’re in the locker room before a game, he was doing his stretching while I was sitting in my chair listening to music, and he walked by and he farted by my face. And walked away."
IT WAS A HIT AND RUN!!
Serby asked, "You didn't get him back?"
To which Gallman replied, "There was no way I could get him back after that. Had to do something real nasty."
Serby again pressed ... "But, you didn’t do anything?"
Gallman -- "I didn’t get a chance to (chuckle)."
FYI, schoolyard rules state if Gallman would have yelled "doorknob" before Eli yelled "safety" ... everyone would have been allowed to punch Eli without consequence until he touched a doorknob. Everyone knows this.
Manning retired after the 2019 NFL season and has spent his time relaxing and hanging with his family.
But beware, Eli ... and plug your nose ... because one day, Wayne Gallman will have his revenge!!!
Golden Tate is finally apologizing to the NY Giants for that "throw me the damn ball" rant during the Bucs game 2 weeks ago ... telling reporters his actions were "unacceptable."
"I just got caught up in the moment," Tate said on Friday ... "I was wrong to draw attention to myself."
WR Golden Tate is a player the Giants are trying to move. The money (still owed almost $4.5M this year) could be prohibitive.
But Tate’s role with Giants has been shrinking (54% of snaps on Monday night). Only 5 targets past two weeks. Frustration growing?
"I take full responsibility for that. I handled it the wrong way ... It was something that won’t happen again."
If you missed it ... 32-year-old Tate has been frustrated with the lack of targets this season, and finally exploded after a critical TD grab during the Nov. 2nd matchup on "Monday Night Football."
The wideout yelled into the camera, "Throw me the ball!" He reportedly also screamed toward his sideline earlier in the game, "Throw me the damn ball!"
To make matters worse, Tate's wife, Elise, publicly called out the team on IG -- saying "Ain't no way this BS gonna hurt his stats this yr bc he doesn't get targets. FEED HIM THE BALL."
Giants head coach Joe Judge punished Tate for the public criticism -- demoting him to the scout team and benching him for the Nov. 8 game against the Washington Football Team.
People were wondering how Tate would react to the discipline -- but it appears he's taking the high road now and accepting responsibility.
"My actions were unacceptable," said Tate, who added he was NOT trying to force a trade with his tirade.
"I apologized to the team, the GM, the coaches, the offense. I’m excited to move forward. I want to be here."
"I was wrong to draw attention to myself and I take full responsibility for that."
