Sterling Shepard’s next step forward will take him off the sidelines and into the huddle.
The Giants’ top wide receiver reached Step 5 of the five-step NFL-sanctioned protocol for returning from a concussion. Shepard participated in football-specific drills (Step 4) last week, but now it appears, barring a setback, he will return from a three-game absence Monday night against the Cowboys.
“It’s just a matter of time,” coach Pat Shurmur said after Wednesday’s practice. “But he had a contact practice, and that’s a good thing.”
Contact practices without restrictions – or simulated contact practices, when teams are practicing at half-speed as dictated by their schedule for the week – are the final step in the recovery process.