Sterling Shepard Not Ready to Close Door on NFL Career

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard, who played his final game with the team that selected him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of the University of Oklahoma, might not be a part of the New York Giants future, but he's also not quite ready to call it quits as an active NFL player.

Shepard has also had a respectable career in the NFL. As a rookie, he'd account for eight touchdowns and 65 receptions on over 100 targets. He'd then post five consecutive seasons of over 500 yards receiving.

Shepard was more than serviceable during his time with the Giants, mainly as a slot receiver. While in New York, he caught 372 passes, which ranks as the fifth-most receptions in Giants history. He registered 4,095 receiving yards, including a career-high 872-yard receiving season in 2018 and 23 touchdowns.

The eight-year veteran posted at least 57 receptions in five of his eight seasons in the league. However, he did miss a total of 15 games in 2017, 2019, and 2020. Since then, he's only appeared in roughly half of the Giants 50 plus games. His history of injuries and declining play over the last few seasons have made it unlikely he will return to New York next season.

Shepard turns 31 this year and will be an unrestricted free agent once his contract expires. And although his days as a Giant are over, he is not ready to hand up his cleats.

"I think it's just too early to close the door on that now," Shepard said in an interview on "The 2nd Wind Podcast" (h/t The Spun). "Obviously, I'm content with what I've done with my career and where I'm now. A lot of other stuff goes into whether I'm not going to play or not...It has to make sense for me and my family. My family is stable here.

"So many other decisions, but I'm not going to close that door this early."

Shepard has been posting videos on his Instagram account showing him working out and staying in shape just in case another NFL team calls.

But that won't be the Giants. Shepard's jersey No. 3, worn in honor of his late father, Derrick Shepard, was one he wore for the final years of his Giants career once receivers were approved to wear single-digit numbers. Second-year cornerback Deonte Banks has reportedly asked for that jersey number for the 2024 season.