Giants’ DE Kiwanuka Done For The Year

Added on Oct 28, 2010 by Jason Kearney in

NFL

The New York Giants’ defense took a big hit today when the team announced that versatile defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka will miss the rest of the season with a herniated disk in his neck. He’s been placed on the injured reserve list and since he’s in the final year of his contract this could also be the end of the line for his tenure with the Giants. This is the second time in the past four years his season has ended early due to injury–he broke his leg 10 games into the Giants’ 2007 Super Bowl season.

General manager Jerry Reese released this statement:

“It’s painful for us to go this route with Kiwi, but we’ve exhausted all of our options. What’s most important is for him to get healthy. We’re praying and hopeful that by next fall he will be back at 100 percent and playing for the New York Giants.”

Kiwanuka said that he might have been able to return this season but understands why the team did what they did:

“Like I said before, I felt like, given enough time, I could’ve made it back this season, but it’s the nature of the business. The Giants had to move on, and I had to be OK with it. Regardless of what happens to me as an individual, I’m definitely still going to work with the Giants organization throughout the term of my contract.“

He hadn’t played since Week 3 so the early end to the year isn’t a surprise. He’s hoping to avoid surgery and doctors have said that his neck will likely heal on its own given time:

“I want to avoid surgery. The consensus is that if I take the proper amount of time off, there is a very good chance that it’ll heal on its own. That’s what the goal is right now. If it doesn’t happen, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Regardless of whether or not it requires surgery, I’ll still be back by the opening of training camp.”

Head coach Tom Coughlin is sad to lose Kiwanuka for the season:

“We held out hope as long as we could. Finally, by consensus, the doctors came to this decision. You have to make the right choice and the decision was made that he could not play again this season. My concern is for Mathias. He loves the game, he loves to play, he’s proven his versatility this year beyond any question. He’s given great effort and he has proven that he is a team player. I feel badly for Mathias because I know how important playing the game of football is to him. Let’s get him healthy, back on the field, playing for the New York Giants.”

The Giants have good depth at the position with Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and rookie Jason Pierre-Paul.