New York Giants kicker Graham Gano has always taken pride in his ability to get the job done.
So, despite a knee injury to his left (plant) leg that he knew would eventually require surgery, Gano tried to push through it for as long as he could, only to conclude that he could not perform at the level he expects of himself.
"It’s definitely disappointing," Gano told reporters Friday at his locker. "I think the first thing I said a few weeks ago when I popped up on the report was that if I could manage the pain and if I could play well and help the team win, then I’d keep doing it.
"That was what the reports were saying then on my knee, and things just progressed for the worst. The pain, the swelling, and instability just kind of increased, and I wasn’t able to do a good job on the field. We all made a decision to go ahead and get the surgery. I know it’s frustrating, but those guys in there do a fantastic job, and it just got to the point, you could see it on the field, and just physically, it wasn’t going to go well."
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Gano refused to get into specifics regarding what's wrong with his knee or what kind of surgery he was going to have (though he did say it wasn't related to the injury he had a few years ago for which he also needed surgery). But he praised the Giants medical staff for their treatment and guidance in his decision-making process about getting his knee back on track for the future.
"We have one of the best medical staffs in the whole league. I saw some stuff online about them and questioning them, and I don’t swear often, but I think it’s (expletive), honestly, because they’re one of the best in the league," Gano said.
"I would trust my own children with them. I love those guys. They’ve done a great job with me. I think my knee probably would have been a lot worse had I not been in there getting it taken care of by those guys. I’m excited to get it fixed. Disappointed in how the season went, but I’m excited to get back to making field goals."
How soon he'll be able to return remains to be seen.
"I don’t know," Gano said when asked how quickly he thought he might be back. "I'm going to have to talk to the doctors and the staff about it. I can't give you the timeline or anything like that. I've never been one to slack on things; I work my butt off. So, I'm going to give it my all to get back as quickly as I can. As far as the timeline, I have no idea."
He's hoping, though, that his surgery doesn't end his 2023 season.
"Nobody’s told me (his season is over), but my mindset is always if I’m dealing with adversity, just attack it and do what I can with it."
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