{"id":238814,"date":"2025-07-07T11:01:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T15:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=238814"},"modified":"2025-07-07T11:01:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T15:01:14","slug":"jason-pierre-paul-nfl-return-giants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/07\/07\/jason-pierre-paul-nfl-return-giants\/","title":{"rendered":"Jason Pierre-Paul Eyes NFL Return, Preferably The Giants"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"265\" data-end=\"795\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/tag\/jason-pierre-paul\/\" target=\"_self\">Jason Pierre-Paul<\/a> has made it clear he isn\u2019t ready to walk away from the NFL just yet. He would also welcome a reunion with the New York Giants.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"265\" data-end=\"795\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/45582506\/jason-pierre-paul-fourth-july-fingers-accident-ten-years-later-new-york-giants\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201cI can still do it,\u201d<\/a> Pierre-Paul told <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/45582506\/jason-pierre-paul-fourth-july-fingers-accident-ten-years-later-new-york-giants\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ESPN\u2019s Jordan Raanan<\/a> in a recent interview. When asked about returning to the Giants, he added, \u201cI think that&#8217;ll be dope. Tremendous. To go back somewhere where my career started \u2026 the fans know me and know the type of player that I am. I&#8217;ll always be that type of player and just give &#8217;em everything I got, which I know it&#8217;ll be more than enough. Pierre-Paul has stayed in shape and continued training, confident he can still contribute if a team calls.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_239016\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-239016\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-239016\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/07\/Jason-Pierre-Paul-1024x681.jpg\" alt=\"Jason Pierre-Paul\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/07\/Jason-Pierre-Paul-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/07\/Jason-Pierre-Paul-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/07\/Jason-Pierre-Paul-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/07\/Jason-Pierre-Paul-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/07\/Jason-Pierre-Paul-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/07\/Jason-Pierre-Paul.jpg 1311w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-239016\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dec 4, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul (4) and cornerback Marcus Peters (24) tackle Denver Broncos running back Mike Boone (26) during the second half at M&amp;T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 data-start=\"176\" data-end=\"263\">Jason Pierre-Paul Still Wants to Play, Hopes for Giants Return and 100 Career Sacks<\/h2>\n<h3 data-start=\"797\" data-end=\"848\">The Fireworks Accident That Changed Everything<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"850\" data-end=\"1082\">July 4, 2015, marked a turning point in Pierre-Paul\u2019s life and career. While celebrating Independence Day, a <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/reports-jason-pierre-paul-hospitalized-for-severe-fireworks-injury\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fireworks explosion<\/a> badly injured his right hand, causing his index finger to be amputated and portions of two other fingers. Many doubted he could ever play football again.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1084\" data-end=\"1349\">But Pierre-Paul defied those doubts. Wearing a massive protective club on his hand, he still recorded seven sacks the following year in 2016 and proved he could be a disruptive defensive force. His determination and toughness made him one of the NFL\u2019s most inspiring comeback stories and helps explain why a Jason Pierre-Paul NFL return\u00a0remains possible today.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1351\" data-end=\"1386\">Strong Production in Tampa Bay<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1388\" data-end=\"1844\">After leaving the New York Giants, Pierre-Paul went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and continued playing at a high level. Over four seasons in Tampa, he showed he could still produce. In 2018, Pierre-Paul had 12.5 sacks, and in the 2020-2021 season, he notched 9.5 sacks, helping the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV. His veteran leadership and pass-rush skills boosted Tampa\u2019s defense and showed he could still perform at an elite level.<\/p>\n<h4 data-start=\"1036\" data-end=\"1109\">Jason Pierre-Paul NFL Return: Chasing 100 Sacks and a Giants Reunion<\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"1902\" data-end=\"2188\">Even a decade after the fireworks accident, Pierre-Paul\u2019s goals remain strong. With 94.5 career sacks, he wants to reach the 100-sack milestone. At 36, and not active since the 2023 season, he hopes for one more NFL shot for the final chapter of his career. Ideally, he would like to be back in a Giants uniform where he can mentor star rookie pass rusher <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/02\/17\/2025-nfl-draft-scouting-report-abdul-carter-penn-state\/\" target=\"_self\">Abdul Carter<\/a>. The Giants have also invested in young pass rushers like <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/tag\/kayvon-thibodeaux\/\" target=\"_self\">Kayvon Thibodeaux,<\/a> who was the 5th overall pick in the 2022 draft and could benefit from a veteran presence such as Pierre-Paul. Pairing the former Giants star with emerging talent might give their defensive front even more upside.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2190\" data-end=\"2567\">The two-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI and the Buccaneers in <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/02\/07\/tampa-bay-buccaneers-super-bowl-lv\/\" target=\"_self\">Super Bowl LV<\/a> also has three Pro Bowl selections on his resume. A Jason Pierre-Paul NFL return will likely serve as a depth piece and veteran mentor, bringing valuable experience and leadership to a defensive front. Pierre-Paul aims to return to the Giants, the team where his career began, and reach the 100-sack milestone that would cement his legacy among the game\u2019s greats.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2190\" data-end=\"2567\"><em>Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan &#8211; Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jason Pierre-Paul has made it clear he isn\u2019t ready to walk away from the NFL just yet. He would also welcome a reunion with the New York Giants. \u201cI can still do it,\u201d Pierre-Paul told ESPN\u2019s Jordan Raanan in a recent interview. When asked about returning to the Giants, he added, \u201cI think that&#8217;ll be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5513,"featured_media":239017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,20,29],"tags":[1234,92,308],"class_list":["post-238814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-news","category-giants","category-buccaneers","tag-jason-pierre-paul","tag-new-york-giants","tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5513"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238814"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239018,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238814\/revisions\/239018"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}