Giants center Billy Price expected out Sunday after family tragedy
Giants center Billy Price and his wife tragically lost a baby boy 15 weeks into pregnancy this week, and Price is doubtful to play Sunday in Chicago as he and his family mourn.
“It is with the most shattered hearts that we have to share the news of our Baby Boy gaining his Angel Wings and being with God in heaven,” Price posted on Instagram. “We are heartbroken that this is our new reality and cannot wrap our heads around it.”
Price added he and his wife “pray that no one ever has to endure this pain and I pray for everyone who already has gone through this or are going through it now. It is hands down the hardest and most painful experience we have ever been through. We are so grateful for the 15 weeks we had with our baby, the excitement our boy gave us & the amount of love and joy we have felt watching him grow and my wife’s body change.”
Head coach Joe Judge said the Giants “fully support Billy and his wife” as an organization regardless of when he decides to return to the team.
“We fully support Billy, fully support Billy as an organization, him and his wife and their family and what they’re going through right now,” Judge said Friday. “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,” Judge continued. “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. I wouldn’t fully rule him out 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.”
Price did show up at the facility for Covid testing Friday, but he is not expected to play. Matt Skura is expected to start at center in front of QB Mike Glennon with Wes Martin at left guard.
Skura has been starting at left guard but was benched for Martin halfway through last week’s loss to the Eagles.
THIS IS 40
Judge turned 40 years old on Friday.
“Trying to keep that quiet most of the day,” Judge said with a smirk, when wished a happy birthday. “So I appreciate it.”
Judge said when he starts talking about the weather for a game like Sunday’s in Chicago, “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.’”
Reminded again of his age, Judge evoked Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s famous rant.
“I am a man now, I am 40,” he said with a laugh.
MR. DEPENDABLE
Practice squad guard Isaiah Wilson missed Friday’s practice due to what the Giants called an “illness.” He missed practice one day after offensive line coach Rob Sale implied Wilson wasn’t acting professionally behind the scenes and said Wilson wasn’t dependable. Wilson, 22, has missed practice in three different weeks due to an “illness,” per the team, since the start of November. The team is short on offensive linemen this week and he still remains a complete afterthought. The Giants have not made Wilson available to the media since he signed on Sept. 30.
WORK IT
Judge said next Tuesday’s workout of offensive linemen, reported Thursday by the Daily News, will be a “good mix” of interior linemen and tackles. He said the purpose is a “combination” of futures looks and possible contributors for the Giants’ season finale in Week 18 against Washington.
“It’s a look at who’s out there as far as the futures and see if we can go ahead and fill any roster spots going forward before we get to free agency and the draft, as well as who may be available next week,” Judge said. “We’ve got to make sure that we go ahead and look and make sure we have depth for the game next week. If that’s something that we think we can add and they can give a contribution, we’ll consider that, as well.”
WHAT RECEIVERS?
WRs Kadarius Toney (shoulder), John Ross (knee/Covid ramp up) and Collin Johnson (hamstring) did not practice Friday and are out Sunday. With Sterling Shepard (torn left Achilles) and Darius Slayton (Covid) also unavailable, the Giants have to roll with a skeleton crew: Kenny Golladay and some combination of practice squadders Pharoh Cooper, David Sills V, Alex Bachman and Travis Toivonen. Sills, made his first NFL catch last Sunday in Philadelphia but drew more praise for finishing an impressive first quarter block in the running game. The Giants will need that above all against Chicago when they commit to the ground to protect Glennon’s shortcomings at quarterback … CB Adoree Jackson (quad/Covid ramp-up), DT Austin Johnson (foot), TE Chris Myarick (hip) and OT Nate Solder (Covid ramp-up) are questionable. Solder is expected to start at right tackle after missing the Philly loss … Andy Dalton is starting at QB for the Bears.