Steve Smith delighted the Giants in 2009 when he set a franchise record with 107 receptions. He bummed them out this summer when he rebuffed their offer and instead signed with the rival Eagles.
He also shocked the Giants, who believed coming off knee surgery Smith had few options in free agency and would return to the team that drafted him in 2007.
With Smith recovering from a delicate microfracture procedure to repair cartilage damage, the Giants were unable to closely monitor his progress because of the lockout, but their medical staff checked Smith out a week into training camp and was in agreement he wouldn’t be ready for the start of the season.
In fact, it was likely Smith would have been put on the physically unable to perform list, making him eligible to return after six games.
The Eagles secured Smith with a one-year, $2.2 million deal — not princely money, but better than the Giants offer — and, contrary to what the Giants’ were saying, was active for the start of the season. He was active but not himself, as he remains far from regaining his past form. No higher than the fourth option in the Eagles’ passing attack, Smith in two games has two catches for 29 yards, but you know he’ll be jacked-up today.
Before Smith exited for the Eagles, Giants coach Tom Coughlin said it would be “a long haul for Steve.” It was not as long a haul as the Giants anticipated.
“I wasn’t sure that he would be able to go until probably Week 3 or 4,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “I think he rehabbed faster than any of us thought or healed faster than any of us thought.”
Safety Kenny Phillips said: “We know him just like he knows us, so I think it will be a good matchup.”