Giants’ WR Sterling Shepard suffers season-ending Achilles injury

New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard suffered a torn Achilles at the end of the fourth quarter in the team’s 21-6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

It was a non-contact injury and Shepard was carted off the field with about 1:30 left to play in the game. As soon as Shepard stepped off the line of scrimmage, he grabbed his lower leg and fell to the ground.

The injury is just the latest in a series of setbacks for the Giants receiver who has played in only seven games this season. Shepard dealt with two hamstring injuries and a quad injury this season. He recorded 36 passes for 366 yards and one touchdown in his sixth season in New York. On Sunday, Shepard had two catches for 15 yards.

He played 12 and 10 games the previous two seasons. He played a full season in 2018 — and also as a rookie in 2016. He played 11 games in 2017.

Backup quarterback Jake Fromm, a teammate of Shepard’s for less than three weeks, said “everybody’s a little tore up” about the injury. Saquon Barkley said it was “tough” to see.

While Shepard’s season is definitely over, his Giants career might also have come to an end.

Shepard has two years remaining on his contract with cap hits of $12.4 million and $13.4 million. The Giants, however, can clear $8.5 million in cap space by cutting Shepard (after June 1) this offseason.