Theo Johnson’s return to practice opened the door for the Giants, but it did not kick it all the way open.
Johnson was back on the field Monday after sitting out New York’s last two games before the bye with a neck injury, according to RotoWire. The Giants had already ruled him out for the October 25 game against Houston, so the practice work is a positive sign without being a guarantee that he’ll suit up against Philadelphia. His status still has to be watched.
If Johnson does get cleared, the Giants have a chance to do more than simply swap one tight end for another. The better move would be to use Johnson with Isaiah Likely, giving the offense a two-tight-end look that can hold up a running formation without taking a receiver off the field.
That pairing would give J.J. McCarthy a different kind of pre-snap picture.
Likely brings a reliable receiving presence, while Johnson adds size and a different body type. From there, Philadelphia would have to decide whether to respond with more bulk or more defensive backs.
Neither choice hands the Giants an automatic edge, but it does create a wrinkle.
The catch is that Johnson’s neck injury makes the whole thing less straightforward. He hasn’t played in two games, and even if he’s available, there’s no reason to assume he’ll be used without limits. A full workload would be jumping ahead.
If Johnson can’t go, or if the Giants decide to ease him back in, the fallback is simple: lean on Likely and the rest of the available personnel. That would keep things familiar after the Houston game, but it would also take away the chance to stress Philadelphia with both tight ends on the field at once.
For now, the Giants can at least start building that package. Johnson’s practice return is enough to plan around, not enough to declare him ready before the team does.
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