EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Odell Beckham, Jr. was listed as a limited participant in practice after going through individual drills today, and Pat Shurmur was vague about the wide receiver's prospects for playing in Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans.
"I think he's getting better each day," Shurmur said. "Again, we'll know more as the week goes on. And I encourage our players not to talk about their injuries, so hopefully that's about all you'll get out of it."
Beckham did not speak to the media today. He did participate in the morning walk-thru prior to practice.
Beckham suffered a quad injury when he was leg-whipped on the final play of the Giants' 25-22 loss in Philadelphia on Nov. 25. Beckham played the following week in a victory against Chicago – throwing and catching a touchdown pass – but on Friday, he was limited in practice and listed on the team's injury report. On Saturday, the Giants announced he had not made the trip to Washington for the game the following day. Beckham was inactive for the Giants' 40-16 victory over the Redskins.
Tight end Rhett Ellison sat out practice with an ankle injury he suffered in Washington.
The Giants proved Sunday they can win convincingly without one of their most productive players.
"Teams beat teams, and at this time of year, I'll bet there's no teams that are playing with their initial rosters," Shurmur said. "Team beat teams, and that's where guys step up and make an impact in the game in and around injuries. I think that's safe to be said about any position group or any player."
"Last year, we lost a bunch of guys," quarterback Eli Manning said. "It's a little bit different. We have guys who've been here and guys that know what they're doing, and you trust, and you have reps with them. I feel comfortable with all the guys out there, and do a good job of rotating some guys in, and make sure they're doing the things they do well."
*Shurmur said safety Landon Collins underwent shoulder surgery yesterday. The two-time Pro Bowler partially tore his labrum in the victory against Chicago on Dec. 2. Shurmur said the surgery "went well."
*Although he didn't complete any of his five passes, rookie Kyle Lauletta will likely be Eli Manning's backup quarterback against Tennessee.
"At this point, but we could always change our mind," Shurmur said. "Kyle went in and certainly there's plays he'd like to have back. There's a lot of guys that go in, especially at the quarterback position, and don't do well in their first outing, so we're just going to keep working with him and keep him going. As I've mentioned all along, I do feel confident in both guys that could potentially back up."
*The Giants signed defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton to their practice squad. Hamilton, 6-3 and 315 pounds, played in two regular-season games for the New England Patriots in 2016 and an NFC Divisional Playoff Game for the New Orleans last season. He had three tackles (two solo) against the Minnesota Vikings and their offensive coordinator, Shurmur. Hamilton was on the Saints' practice squad from Sept. 2-27 this year.
*The Giants and Toyota, in partnership with the United States Marines, will hold their annual Toys for Tots drive at MetLife Stadium when they host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Fans are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to any of the Toyota collection vehicles located at each entrance to the stadium prior to the game. Uniformed Marine Corps Reserves and volunteers will be on hand to assist in collecting the donated gifts.
Modell's Sporting Goods has donated $2,500 worth of sports equipment to the cause and will hand out coupons to all fans who donate a toy. Coupons are redeemable at Modell's locations only. All gifts collected during the drive will be donated to Toys for Tots, the premier community action program of the United States Marines. Over the last 50 years, the Marines have distributed over 272,000,000 toys to children across the country during the holiday season.
Since the late 1970's, the Giants have participated in this program and hosted an annual Toys for Tots drive, helping to bring the joy of Christmas to children across the tri-state area. Once again, the Giants ask their friends and fans to join the team as we assist our neighbors in need.
