Giants OL Nick Gates reportedly activated 13 months after career-threatening leg break
When New York Giants offensive lineman Nick Gates broke his leg a year ago, then-head coach Joe Judge said he was worried it could be a career-ending injury.
But that wasn't in the cards for Gates.
On Wednesday, 13 months after sustaining a broken leg that could have ended his career, the 26-year-old Gates is back. According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, the Giants are set to activate Gates on Wednesday, several weeks after being removed from the PUP list.
Gates' injury last year was horrific. He broke his left fibula and tibia in the Giants' Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders, which was so severe that his calf facing the wrong direction. He had surgery almost immediately and had a rod inserted, the first of seven surgeries he would need to get back into playing shape. At one point, he even feared he might lose his leg.
Gates' journey back to the Giants
It wasn't an easy road for Gates. The injury and the surgery kept him away from the team, so in addition to painful rehab, he wasn't always able to access the support network that comes from being on a team.
“It definitely gets a little lonely,” Gates told NJ.com in early October. “All the guys in the locker room have my back. They tried to include me as much as they could, but it was a roller coaster of emotions, I’m not going to lie."
At one point during his rehab, he reached out to the team's director of wellness and clinical service, Dr. Lani Lawrence, about the feelings of helplessness and loneliness he was having. She told him that those feelings were completely normal, which helped him as he continued his recovery. As for what kept him going as he kept suffering through surgeries and rehab, Gates said it was simply his love of the game.
“I just wanted to play football again to be honest with you,” Gates said. “Just being out there is fun. I don’t know how else to explain it, but I was watching the game up in the box the last couple of weeks we were playing and I’m like, ‘I just want to be back out there again with the guys and just have fun.’ What other job lets you hit people and basically do whatever you want?”
The Giants as a whole are certainly having that kind of fun right now. They have a stunning 6-1 record, which is second in the entire NFL behind only the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. And while getting Gates back would be a boon under normal circumstances, he's just what they need right now. Two of their offensive linemen (Evan Neal and Ben Bredeson) will need to miss time due to recent injuries, and Gates' return can help soften the blow.
