Jason Pierre-Paul Hoping For Healthy Season

The New York Giants defense was one of the best in the NFL last season and Jason Pierre-Paul was a huge reason why. In just 12 games for Big Blue, JPP racked up seven sacks and 35 tackles. Now the Giants will look forward to what Pierre-Paul can do with a full season. In his last full season in 2014, he had 12.5 sacks and 53 tackles.

JPP spoke to the media after training camp on Wednesday, here are some takeaways from it.

On playing 16 games this season ...

“It’s been a while, but leading up to it I have been playing well, but the main thing for me is to stay healthy and I feel like what coach did today [holding him out of practice] was a big help as much as I wanted to be out there with my teammates,” Pierre-Paul said. “Just sitting on the sidelines and seeing things, I know exactly what is going to happen. And if that person doesn’t do it, it just makes me know that I know the game mentally and I can just sit back and watch and focus on what I need to do right.”

On the potential of the defense this year ...

“We all still have to gain that chemistry with each other,” Pierre-Paul said. “We are doing a great job as a team, bonding with each other. It all starts with knowing the name of the player that you don’t know. We are doing a good job of that and we are bringing it on the field. The offense is going to have their competition against the defense, but every time we come out here and work so that’s a good thing.”

On the possibility of in-game rest ...

“You never know how a game is going to go,” Pierre-Paul said. “You might need me for every snap or you might not need me for every snap. We are trying to bring those young boys along. This is training camp so we are going to see what they got. This was only the second day of pads so we are just focusing on the young boys and ourselves right now and I am going to try to bring them along the best way I can.”

On the Giants commitment to Pierre-Paul ...

“It means a lot,” Pierre-Paul said. “Being here for eight years, there have been ups and downs in my career, but at the end of the day I have managed. It just means a lot. The organization loves me, the fans love me, I love the fans, I love the organization and all I know is Giants football.”