Jason Pierre-Paul injury -- Damage to hand worse than initially believed, per report

In the next installment of the off season story that just won't go away for the New York Giants, Dan Graziano of ESPN is reporting that the damage Jason Pierre-Paul's hand is more extensive than was originally believed.

Jason Pierre-Paul had a repair procedure performed on his right middle finger three days before the New York Giants examined his hand last week. The condition of that finger and the fact that the defensive end also is missing the tip of his thumb and his entire index finger has led to some increased pessimism among team decision-makers about his prognosis, sources told ESPN.

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Pierre-Paul had surgery to repair thumb fractures on July 8, when he also had the index finger amputated. But one of the sources who spoke to ESPN about the situation this week said Pierre-Paul has had many procedures since that time and that the Sept. 4 operation on the middle finger was the last one needed -- that all that was left for him is rehab focused on range of motion in his right hand.

A source who has seen the hand said the swelling has gone down significantly in the past several weeks and that the myriad surgical procedures had to be staggered because some had to heal before others could be performed.

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The question remains: When, if ever, will the Giants get Pierre-Paul back on the field?

The defensive end is still adamant that he will be healthy enough to play again this year, and before the Week 10 deadline to sign his franchise tender.

There have been frequent calls from fans for the Giants to rescind the franchise tag, however every week that JPP goes unsigned, the Giants get 1/16th of the tender -- $871,000 -- added back to their salary cap. If Pierre-Paul does not sign his franchise tag by week 10, he will be ineligible to play the rest of the season. In that case, it might make sense for the Giants to offer a short term incentive laden "prove it" deal to JPP for 2016.