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Notebook: 3 receivers ruled out vs. Bears

KADARIUS-TONEY

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Kenny Golladay might have a very busy afternoon in his hometown on Sunday.

The five-year veteran is the only healthy wide receiver on the Giants' active roster. He was joined in practice today by three wideouts on the practice squad: Pharoh Cooper, Alex Bachman and David Sills, who will be elevated or signed to the roster for the game.

The three players the Giants declared out of the game on their final injury report are all wide receivers: Kadarius Toney (shoulder), John Ross (knee/COVID-19 ramp up) and Collin Johnson (hamstring). Darius Slayton will not play after he was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list this week. Sterling Shepard, C.J. Board and Dante Pettis – the last Giants wideout to catch a touchdown pass, on Oct. 24 - are on injured reserve. Pettis was also added to the Reserve/COVID-19 list today.

Toney, the team's first-round draft choice this year, had a breakout game with 10 catches for a Giants rookie-record 189 yards in Dallas on Oct. 10. Since then, he has played in five games and totaled 19 receptions for 139 yards. Toney caught four passes for 28 yards last week against Philadelphia.

Though the Giants will have just one game remaining after Sunday, coach Joe Judge said "there's nothing at this point that would lead us to believe that" when asked if Toney's shoulder issue would force him to miss the rest of the season.

Toney's rookie season has been beset by injuries, including a hamstring, ankle, thumb, quad, oblique and now shoulder, plus two stints on the COVID-19 list (one in the preseason). Judge was asked if it's "odd" that Toney has had such an assortment of injuries.

"I think it's a long season and I'd also say the other thing too is for any of these young players the first time going through a season of this length – training camp, preseason games, 17 regular season games – their bodies really aren't used to it, that's just the truth," Judge said. "That's for any player in any year in any program. That's no different. You talk about that rookie wall and different things they have to face. This year having a little bit less time for different reasons or less exposure for different reasons puts more of a challenge on some of the young players as well to kind of get acclimated to this season length. It takes these guys really a full year to get used to the rigors of an entire NFL season and get their bodies used to it."

View rare photos of the all-time history between the New York Giants and Chicago Bears.

*Judge again declined to say if Mike Glennon or Jake Fromm will start at quarterback. The Giants have lost four consecutive games since Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending neck injury on Nov. 28.

"We'll decide that after today's practice," Judge said. "Both guys will take reps and we'll see going on through practice.

"If we think that there's something that's more suited to one of the guys, we have no problem putting in a certain package for them, but we'll come out of today's practice and see what will make the best decision for the team."

*Judge said defensive back Julian Love, who is on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, should return in time to travel with team to Chicago tomorrow and play Sunday. Love, who grew up in the Chicago area, had interceptions in each of the Giants' games in Soldier Field the previous two seasons.

*Regarding defensive lineman Danny Shelton, another player on the COVID-19 list, Judge said he "wouldn't rule him in or out at this point." Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list this week and will miss the game.

*The Giants are heading into some interesting weather conditions in Chicago. Four to eight inches of snow are forecast for tomorrow, when the Giants will travel, and the temperature Sunday is expected to top out at 25 degrees, with much lower wind chills.

"Any time you play in a weather game, there are a lot of things that are affected, not just necessarily adjustments to your game plan, but then in-game how you call it," Judge said. "That's offense, defense and the kicking game and whether that's just the cold with how that can limit sometimes the ability to throw the ball down the field, because it (is) sometimes based on the grip. If it's the wind factor that eliminates the opportunity to flip the field in the kicking game. If it's the cold, it takes away the hang time against a dangerous returner. There are a lot of things you have to factor in. The difference in field goal range when you get into these cold games, the wind games, different factors that play on in.

"Based on what the field looks like – I know there's a chance of snow going out there, they've got a heated field, so it's probably going to play out more if the field is covered. Like some kind of a slick rain, that's naturally a slick turf out there anyway. … We've gone through everything with the tape, talking to our guys about the conditions out there, the weather, how games are changed this time of year, how the games are called differently, the importance of running and making sure you get your feet up as you move and not getting caught on the turf, planting off the correct foot, playing with good knee bend. All those little fundamental things, they all come into play. When I start talking about the weather, a lot of the players look at me and they start rolling their eyes like, 'Alright, old people talk about the weather, that's what this guy's doing.' But the reality is you've got to understand how the game changes and it is situationally played differently in some of these games."

*Center Billy Price announced on Instagram his wife, Taylor, had a miscarriage 15 weeks into her pregnancy. He has been excused from practice.

"I know he posted something on social media. That's his to disclose, that's not mine to talk about," Judge said. "We fully support Billy, fully support Billy as an organization, him and his wife as just individuals and their family and what they're going through right now. We left the door open to Billy in a lot of ways in terms of whatever he needs from us. When I talked to him earlier in the week, I let him know, 'Hey, listen, if you've got to come in here and let this be a distraction, if you want to stay engaged with the game plan, if you want to come out and practice and blow off some steam and hit the weight room, whatever you've got to do.' He's dealing with something that a lot of us have been blessed that we haven't had to deal with. He's going through something personally that we've got to make sure we account for and give him support as an organization, as a person."

Price is officially listed as doubtful for the game.

"I wouldn't fully rule him out (of the game) at this moment, but he has not been at practice with us. He's not been in-person in the meetings. The Zoom's been available to him, but we're letting him and his wife right now have the time they need and fully supporting him in what they're going through."

If Price doesn't play, Matt Skura is expected to play center. Ben Bredeson and Wes Martin are the other candidates. Skura has started the last 13 games at left guard and Bredeson or Martin would step in there if he shifts to center.

*Four players were listed as questionable, including tackle Nate Solder (COVID-19 ramp up), cornerback Adoree' Jackson (quad/COVID-19 ramp up), defensive lineman Austin Johnson (foot) and tight end Chris Myarick (hip).

*Today is Judge's 40th birthday. When a reporter wished him a happy birthday, Judge said, "Trying to keep that quiet most of the day, so I appreciate it."

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