The ability for running back David Wilson to resume his NFL career will come into sharper focus Thursday when he undergoes neck surgery to repair a herniated disc.
Wilson will have a fusion of the vertebrae to repair the herniated disc, a procedure that will be performed by Dr. Frank Cammisa at the Hospital of Special Surgery.
The Giants continue to hold out hope that Wilson will be able to heal sufficiently from this surgery and become the franchise back they predicted for him when they made Wilson their first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Wilson played in only six games this past season before he hurt his neck Oct. 6 against the Eagles. He was inactive for three games as the Giants wanted to see if the neck issue quieted down, but when it did not, Wilson was put on season-ending injured reserve. He finished his second season with only 44 rushing attempts and 146 yards.
“You have to look at him differently, because he’s got the whole neck issue hovering over him right now,” general manager Jerry Reese said recently regarding Wilson. “So he’s got to come back and be healthy, number one. He’s planning to have surgery, and we’ll see how that comes out. Our medical staff feels like he’ll be ready to play this fall, but the neck and back — that’s pretty tricky. So you never know.’’