Though still currently on the PUP list, New York Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks appears on pace for his hopeful return in the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
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Nicks began running routes on Tuesday while catching passes from the Giants training staff. The decision to start doing so is a big step for Nicks, who had doing a lot of straight-line running prior to this, according to CBSSports.com.
The Giants’ star receiver suffered a broken foot back in May, but Nicks has already battled back and has made substantial progress in his recovery. His goal is to return for the September 5th game vs. the Cowboys.
In two games last season, Nicks tallied 13 catches for 239 yards and a touchdown against the Dallas defense.
Right now, it looks like Nicks should be ready to go in Week 1.
“Definitely still on target, no setbacks,” Nicks said, via ESPNNewYork.com’s Dan Graziano. “Everything is going well. I’ve been running every day. No setbacks. Feeling good. Getting back.”
Nicks still has a long way to go before he can be ready to play, but running routes is certainly a start in the right direction. With improvement, the fourth-year receiver will be able to step up and practice with the Giants quarterbacks.
Such a development is a substantial necessity in order to get both Nicks and quarterback Eli Manning on the same page. Manning has always been a stickler for getting time in on the practice field with his receivers, working on timing, positioning and figuring out who he can trust in big spots.
Manning and Nicks have already accomplished plenty together, but with months away from working with one another their game will need some refining before it is ready to hit the field.
Fortunately, the Giants, Nicks and Manning still have plenty of time before the regular season begins.
Louis Musto writes on the NFC East, NFL in general and pop culture at GridironGrit.com. Follow @LouisMusto and @GridironGrit on Twitter!
