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New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul injured his hand in a fireworks accident, as reported by Andy Slater of WINZ in Miami and confirmed by multiple reporters, including NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. Pierre-Paul was reportedly taken to a hospital in South Florida on the Fourth of July.
According to ESPN's Dan Graziano (via Adam Schefter), Pierre-Paul suffered burns on his palms and three fingers, and nerve damage in one finger. Graziano said that the defensive end will not lose any fingers and that the Giants think he'll be okay, contradicting a follow-up report by Slater that Pierre-Paul was still in the hospital as of Sunday night and in danger of losing his hand.
An alleged neighbor of Pierre-Paul posted a since-deleted tweet with a picture of a U-Haul van that the neighbor claimed was filled with fireworks.
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Pierre-Paul posted a video on Instagram in which he is standing in front of a U-Haul van and mentions setting off fireworks.
The Giants used their franchise tag on Pierre-Paul in March, but he hadn't signed the tender which would pay him $14.813 million for the upcoming season. The incident happened just 11 days before the July 15 deadline for the two sides to agree on a long-term contract. Last season, he led the team with 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. A first-round pick in 2010, he's totaled 286 tackles, 42 sacks and eight forced fumbles in his five-year career.
Because Pierre-Paul is technically not under contract, the Giants could, in theory, pull his franchise tender and make him a free agent. Depending on the severity of the injury, he could also land on the non-football injury list. In that case, the Giants could avoid paying Pierre-Paul entirely because his tender is guaranteed only for football injury.