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Dianna Russini of ESPN is reporting that New York Giants rookie cornerback Sam Beal has suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
Giants cornerback Sam Beal who was chosen in the supplemental draft is out for the year with a shoulder injury per source. Big hit for this Giants defense.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) July 25, 2018
Beal was selected out of Western Michigan in the third round of this year’s supplemental draft by the Giants. The team made Beal the highest-selected player in the supplemental draft since Josh Gordon in 2012 to help address what is perceived as a razor-thin cornerback position.
Beal wasn’t expected to contribute right away after missing all of the Giants’ offseason program. But with his talent and coverage ability, it was hoped that he would work his way on to the field to help relieve Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple as the season wore on. In the longer term, getting Beal a year early was seen as a boon and a chance to develop him in-house long before his peers would be drafted.
Now it looks like he will spend his rookie season on injured reserve.
Patricia Traina has previously detailed for us how a split in Beal’s contract would pay him less should he land on IR this season. That, obviously, will now come into play.
[UPDATE 6:15 p.m. ET]
NJ.com is reporting that Beal had shoulder surgery in February of 2018, and could be headed for a second. It is still possible that Beal is able to play in a harness, biut at this point surgery appears more likely.
[UPDATE 1:20 p.m. ET: Now we know how Beal got injured.]
To add to @diannaESPN's report: Giants CB Sam Beal got tangled with a teammate during yesterday's practice, and shoulder popped out. Bad luck.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 25, 2018
Beal is likely headed for surgery with a dislocated shoulder after a weird practice accident. Season over before it begins. https://t.co/LEKhc4dh4a
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2018
Stay at Big Blue View for more details as we get them.