The New York Giants have announced that defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul had a herniated disc in his lower back repaired and is now expected to be sidelined for the next 12 weeks.
The Newark Star-Ledger is reporting that Pierre-Paul is expected to recover from the procedure for the start of the 2013 season. He's unlikely to begin training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
"My back has been bothering me for a while, and even last season I played through some back issues," Pierre-Paul said in a statement. "The treatment I've been doing has helped manage the issue, but this procedure is going to get me fully healthy and there should be no more pain."
Selected 15th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, Pierre-Paul has seen a steadily decline in his sack numbers, dropping from 16 ½ two years ago, a career high, to 6 ½ last season. ESPN has reported that Pierre-Paul received epidural injections during the 2012 season to ease the pain of his nagging back injury.
There has been a bit of a stir after Giants coach, Tom Coughlin, hinted in March that Pierre-Paul reported to training camp overweight last summer, inferring that he was in weaker condition than the previous seasons.
Pierre-Paul has since disputed the claim, saying his playing weight has not fluctuated over the past two seasons, but he hasn't complained publically about his back.
"I was always in great shape," Pierre-Paul said in April. "I'm still the same size this year. People say I look slimmer but I'm the same weight."
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