Yep, he heard it.
“Clearly,’ Sterling Shepard mentioned. “It’s been all over the place.’’
Shepard is involved pretty recurrently with Daniel Jones however not this week, with Shepard’s new workforce, the Buccaneers, making ready to face his previous workforce, the Giants.
Shepard now works in Tampa however he spent the primary eight NFL seasons with the Giants and he was disheartened to listen to that his former quarterback acquired benched and principally put out to pasture.
“I really feel for him, man, as a result of I understand how laborious the dude works, I’ve seen it first-hand and the way nice of a dude he’s,’’ Shepard advised The Publish. “And he can play ball, man, he’s a superb ballplayer. It’s simply unlucky that is the best way this enterprise goes typically. It’s good to you typically however typically it goes the opposite manner and you bought to navigate via that.’’
Jones on Friday requested for his launch and the Giants honored that request, formally ending ties with him.
Eli Manning threw him the ball for Shepard’s first three years with the Giants and Jones was the passer for Shepard’s subsequent 5 NFL seasons carrying Giants’ blue.
Shepard made the playoffs as a rookie in 2016 and the subsequent time the Giants made it into the postseason, 2022, he lasted via solely three video games earlier than a torn ACL ended his season.
He began solely 4 video games the subsequent two seasons earlier than his time with the Giants ran out.
There was a lot dropping for Shepard with the Giants and it continues on with out him, because the Giants take a 2-8 report into Sunday’s sport at MetLife Stadium.
This expertise with the Buccaneers provides Shepard — revered and well-liked throughout his stick with the Giants — an opportunity to see how one other group operates.
“I really feel like [the Giants] are a few items away from being a extremely good workforce,’’ Shepard mentioned. “I feel they’ve a variety of strong items there. In the case of the tradition and all the things like that, I’ve gotten an opportunity to see the best way issues are executed on a distinct hand however I feel there might be perhaps somewhat bit of labor there.’’
The tradition and all the things like that?
“It’s simply totally different, in so many alternative methods and so many alternative ranges,’’ he mentioned. “When it goes all the way down to the small issues, what you are able to do within the constructing as a participant, the best way you’re capable of talk and be hand-in-hand with the coaches, it’s simply a variety of various things I kinda picked up on being there for therefore lengthy. Even all the way down to the coaching employees or the burden coaches and among the totally different stuff that we do right here, it’s a distinction.
“I’m not saying the best way that they do it’s dangerous, as a result of it’s not. It’s simply totally different and I’ve gotten to see the opposite aspect of it.’’
Brian Daboll didn’t have a lot use for Shepard on the sector in 2023 and since making the playoffs in his first yr as head coach, Daboll has misplaced his contact, with the Giants going 8-19 the previous two seasons.
“I don’t assume you go from being the Coach of the 12 months two years in the past to simply being a man that may’t get the job executed,’’ Shepard mentioned. “I don’t imagine that. I want him nothing however the most effective. I really feel like he generally is a coach that may produce wins. He’s executed it earlier than and he did it early on so I don’t assume you simply go away from that.’’
Shepard is reunited with Baker Mayfield, his school quarterback at Oklahoma, and has proven he has one thing left within the tank.
Shepard, in eight video games, has 16 receptions for 166 yards and one landing. He additionally has 55 yards on seven speeding makes an attempt.
Shepard now is aware of there’s life after the Giants. Others in additional high-profile conditions have realized that as effectively.
Saquon Barkley is starring for the Eagles, Xavier McKinney is second within the league in interceptions for the Packers, Julian Love and Leonard Williams are beginning on protection for the Seahawks.
Of all of the strikes that drained away expertise, Shepard finds it laborious to return to grips with the Giants truly letting Barkley stroll out the door — immediately into the arms of a division rival.
Barkley is second within the NFL in speeding with 1,137 yards.
“Has he ever proven you something totally different?’’ Shepard mentioned. “Possibly the yr after his harm he got here again somewhat bit slower however he was nonetheless getting wholesome. He’s the last word teammate, chief and clearly his type of play and what he does on the sector speaks for itself.’’
That defines a participant and individual that’s robust to surrender.
“For me, that’s what I feel,’’ Shepard mentioned, “to be fully trustworthy.’’
