One more season. That’s what Chris Snee was hoping for, but it appears his body will not allow him to suit up for an 11th season at right guard for the Giants.
Snee, coming off hip and elbow surgeries that limited him to only three games in 2013, continues to be bothered by issues with his right wrist and is not ready to start practicing this week when the Giants begin training camp. Players report for camp on Monday, and according to source, Snee will meet with team officials to discuss his situation and it is expected Snee, 32, will announce his retirement.
If so, one of the last links to the Giants’ two Super Bowl championships will be gone. Snee came in with Eli Manning in 2004 and immediately emerged as a starter at right guard, anchoring the offensive line with his Pro Bowl play. He arrived as a second-round pick from Boston College and built his career on toughness and quiet leadership, dispelling any doubts — not that there were many — about the legitimacy of his stature on the team. After all, he is the son-in-law of the head coach, Tom Coughlin, and now the father of three of Coughlin’s grandsons.
Snee is also coming off hip surgery — he’s had both of his hips surgically repaired in the past two years — but it is his elbow that is causing the trouble.
The Giants want him back, but they made contingency plans in case he could not make it, signing veteran guard John Jerry from the Dolphins and in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft selecting Weston Richburg from Colorado State. Richburg is a center but at times during the spring he lined up at guard, and the Giants are convinced he can play guard if necessary. There’s also Brandon Mosley, a third-year player the Giants believe has a strong upside.
There are numerous questions to be answered. What is the prognosis for Snee’s elbow? Does he need more time or will this be a lingering issue? Does he warrant a spot on the roster?
Snee lost nearly 40 pounds after the elbow surgery, as he could not lift weights and dropped to 275 pounds. He slowly and steadily gained most of the weight back and in late June said he believed he was on pace to make a successful return for training camp. Clearly, though, the elbow has not responded the way he figured it would.
Snee has spoken in the past of not wanting to cripple his body playing football, expressing his desire to be active with his sons long after retirement. There is no cartilage in Snee’s right elbow and, according to a source, he has weighed trying to extend his career with the risk of possible long-term damage to his body.
Snee accepted a hefty cut in salary in order to remain on the roster, reducing his 2014 salary from $6.75 million to $2 million ($1 million in guaranteed money). He felt he owed it to the Giants to take less money in order to go out on his own terms, something he might not be able to see through.
At present, Manning, Snee, Zak DeOssie and Mathias Kiwanuka are the only players on the roster who were part of the Super Bowl victories following the 2007 and 2011 seasons. Snee has started all 141 regular-season games he’s played in for the Giants and also started all 11 postseason games.