Stay or Go: Should Giants re-sign Sterling Shepard for 2024 season?
Since being selected in the second round of the 2016 draft, Sterling Shepard has played his entire career with the Giants, but injury issues have limited his effectiveness over the past few seasons.
In the final home game of the 2023-24 season, Shepard saluted the fans, seemingly in acknowledgement that his time with the franchise was coming to an end with his contract set to expire.
However, perhaps there is still mutual interest in him returning on a low-level deal.
So, should the Giants bring Shepard back?
Why Shepard should be back
Shepard’s first five seasons with the Giants were very solid. He averaged over 60 catches per season and almost 700 yards, while scoring 21 touchdowns. Injuries dramatically impacted his 2021 and 2022 seasons, although he was still productive whenever he did play. 2023 was a frustrating year for him, though. He remained healthy but barely saw action with multiple options ahead of him.
The final game of the year was Shepard’s most productive as he caught a season-high three passes, perhaps indicating that he might have something left in the tank. One year removed from his last significant injury, Shepard is only 30, so he may believe he is still capable of getting back to the level he showed previously.
The Giants will appreciate Shepard’s loyalty over the years and Shepard will have appreciation for the team having stuck with him through all his injury issues, so if there’s a situation where he could return on a cheap deal without any guarantees, perhaps both parties will entertain it. Shepard has indicated that he’d be keen to stay in the New York area if possible.
If he did return, Shepard’s veteran leadership would be valuable to a Giants team that drafted Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson in recent years and might look to draft another youngster in April. Robinson is starting to realize his potential, but Hyatt had an inconsistent first season.
Why Shepard shouldn’t be back
Shepard’s injury history is concerning. He suffered a torn Achilles at the end of the 2021 season after missing time with hamstring and quad issues, then worked hard to get back onto the field in 2022 only to tear his ACL three games into the season. Although he was healthy enough to play in 15 games in 2023, it’s unlikely any team will offer him a guarantee, so he may simply opt to retire.
While Shepard’s low production was mostly due to his lack of playing time in 2023, he still should have had more success than he did. He caught fewer than half of his targets, had a few bad drops and ended up with just 57 yards on 10 catches. Perhaps this would've improved if he played more regularly to maintain his rhythm and focus, but that level of production wouldn’t typically warrant any more playing time than he received.
Aside from Robinson and Hyatt, the Giants still have Darius Slayton – who has led them in receiving yards for four of the past five seasons – under contract and may be keen to bring back Parris Campbell or Isaiah Hodgins, or even both of them. They’re also expected to bring in at least one potential starter in free agency or via the draft. So it's difficult to see how Shepard could fit in.
Verdict
It seemed like the Giants, their fans and Shepard himself had made their peace with his inevitable departure at the end of the season. Shepard caught a pass late in their season-ending win over the Philadelphia Eagles and received a heartwarming ovation from the home fans.
While it’s not impossible that both parties consider a reunion where he would compete for a role in training camp, Shepard would probably be a long shot to come out of that with a roster spot, so the expectation here is that he won’t be back.
