Vacation Time Begins For Giants, Other NFL Players

We have now reached the part of the calendar year that NFL coaches, general managers and owners fear the most. That is the six-week summer period between the end of mandatory mini-camp, which the New York Giants concluded on Thursday, and the beginning of training camp.

It is the time of year when the only news made by NFL players is pretty much always bad news.

Giants coach Ben McAdoo expressed the fear that NFL organizations have on Wednesday as he bid farewell to his players for the summer.

“Six weeks goes by pretty quick. You just don’t want any phone calls late at night, that is all,” McAdoo said. “But I trust the players in the locker room, I trust the staff, we are going to put ourselves in good situations and we understand that that NYG never comes off. It is always with us, always a part of us, the name on the back of the jersey and the letters on the front always stick with us.”

No, NFL head coaches don’t want any late-night phone calls between now and when training camp begins. If they get one they know they are going to hear something they probably don’t want to.

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is the NFL poster child for what can go wrong at this time of year. He was the cause of one of those unwanted phone calls, and a lot more, when he blew off part of his right hand in a July 4, 2015 fireworks accident.

“Trust me, I am living proof of it,” Pierre-Paul said on Wednesday. “You know two years ago; I probably wouldn’t even be here, but I understand the distractions, so I’m good.”

Invariably, at some point during the next six weeks — probably more than once — you will read or hear about an NFL player finding trouble.

Giants fans can only hope that none of those players are members of the Giants. The 2017 Giants are a talented group with a chance to do something special. Let’s hope nothing happens over the next six weeks that derails that, or changes anyone’s life for the worse.