Sterling Shepard injury: Giants place wide receiver on IR with turf toe

The good news Wednesday morning is that the New York Giants have officially announced the anticipated signing of veteran running back Devonta Freeman. The bad news is that they made space on the roster for him by placing wide receiver Sterling Shepard on injured reserve with turf toe.

Shepard suffered the injury Sunday after catching a pass near the end of the first half in a game against the Chicago Bears. The IR designation does not end Shepard’s season. This year, players on IR can be brought back to the active roster after missing three games.

Freeman, a two-time Pro Bowler, should help the Giants as they try to make due after the season-ending injury to Saquon Barkley.

The Giants also signed center Javon Patterson to their practice squad. Patterson, 6-3 and 307 pounds, was a seventh-round draft choice out of Mississippi by Indianapolis in 2019. He spent the entire 2019 season on injured reserve with an ACL injury. Patterson was cut by the Colts on Sept. 5. The Giants dropped rookie center Tyler Haycraft from the practice squad on Tuesday.