Jason Pierre-Paul: A Cautionary Tale Of Fireworks And Football

This article was originally published in July 2015. Re-posting today as a reminder to be safe on 4th of July! When training camp starts in August, there is a very good chance New York Giants' defensive Jason Pierre-Paul will have a new nickname. Perhaps "hot hand" or maybe "sparkler." You can definitely count on his teammates taking every opportunity to remind Jason to be more "explosive" off the ball in practice.

In a shocking turn of events, while celebrating the Fourth of July last Saturday, Pierre-Paul suffered a serious accident while lighting fireworks. Initial reports suggested that Jason sustained severe burns and melted skin on his hand, possibly even nerve damage. Unfortunately, the news has only gotten worse, as reports emerged that Jason allegedly had his right index finger amputated.

As if losing a finger from a fireworks accident wasn't bad enough, the implications for Jason's football career are dire. Following the news of the accident, the Giants organization decided to rescind a five-year, $60 million offer that was on the table for him. Losing a finger and a lucrative contract? That is certainly an unfortunate way to spend the holiday.

Publicly, the team has expressed concerns regarding Jason's health, future availability, and decision-making. However, the reality is that retracting the offer means very little. The deal had been on the table for a while, and Pierre-Paul was likely going to reject it anyway, as he was holding out for a larger $80-$100 million contract with guaranteed money.

To make matters more complicated, when the Giants' team trainer traveled to Florida this week to check on Jason, he was reportedly turned away at the hospital. If the Giants really wanted to send a message to Pierre-Paul and other players contemplating reckless behavior, they could pull the franchise tender – a one-year, $14.8 million deal that is still pending. However, if they were to do so, it would be considered one of the most foolish moves in free agency.

Why would such a decision be unwise? If the Giants believe Jason cannot play anymore, they could pull the franchise tender, making him an unrestricted free agent. If he makes a full recovery, he could sign with any team. Given Jason's impressive record of 42 sacks over the last five seasons, every team with salary cap space would be anxious to sign him. If he ends up having a poor season, he will surely regret turning down that $60 million offer from the Giants.

Many believe that the 26-year-old has yet to reach his full potential. If the Giants were to let him go due to this incident, another team would likely step in with a generous offer (after he passes a physical, of course). Most likely, Pierre-Paul will sign his tender and report to camp on time, where he will either excel or struggle.

In the end, whether with the Giants or another team, someone will offer him the deal he desires, and this injury will simply become a distant memory. As of now, Jason is expected to recover in time for the upcoming 2015 season, though it remains unclear if he will lose any strength or mobility.

Moreover, if you think an NFL player blowing off a finger from 4th of July fireworks is a rare occurrence, think again! Jason isn't even the only NFL player to have suffered such an accident last weekend. Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback CJ Wilson also managed to blow off two fingers due to a fireworks explosion. Wilson has one year left on a $1 million, two-year deal, and was set to earn a non-guaranteed $585,000 next season.