Giants' Kenny Golladay 'real excited' to contribute after knee injury

Wide receiver Kenny Golladay is ready to contribute more than just vocal leadership to the 6-2 New York Giants. 

"Real excited," Golladay said Wednesday about practicing coming off the knee injury that cost him the past four games, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post and the Giants' website. "Definitely a smile on my face when I'm out there with the guys." 

Golladay signed a four-year deal reportedly worth up to $72M to join the Giants in March 2021 but hasn't produced memorable highlight-reel moments for the club. He has yet to score a touchdown wearing Big Blue colors and thus far this season has just two catches for 22 yards. 

"I feel pretty good, I feel good," Golladay said Wednesday about his health. "Stacked two good days on top of each other, a little break tomorrow, get a little treatment done then come back Friday and put another one on top of another one." 

Golladay added he's "pushing towards" playing in this Sunday's home game against the 1-6-1 Houston Texans. New York's passing attack needs any help it can get, as ESPN stats show the Giants rank 29th in the league with an average of 159.1 yards through the air per contest.

"I don’t want to come in the game and act like I lost a step as far as playbook-wise, like I'm not mentally prepared," Golladay said about his potential return to the lineup. "So, even when I wasn't playing, I was making sure I was mentally prepared the entire time as if I was playing. That's really my main goal, when I do get in there it's not like a fall off." 

Golladay admitted before New York's 27-13 loss at the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8 that he was "jealous" watching his teammates open the season with six victories across their first seven games. He suggested Wednesday he owes more to those on the roster than to members of the Giants' coaching staff amid another lackluster personal campaign. 

"I'm really not trying to prove anything to the coaches," he explained. "Really, I'm out here playing for my guys and these people in the locker room. Of course, I've got to show on the practice field to the coaches, but at the exact same time, I'm playing for the guys in this locker room, period."