New York Giants receiver Parris Campbell spent the first four seasons of his career with the Colts, seasons that were mostly marred by injuries.
But after putting in a full season last year and showing what he can do, Campbell is excited to continue that progress as a member of the New York Giants.
"I feel like every year is pivotal," he said Monday before the Giants departed for their joint practices with the Detroit Lions.
"No matter who you are, no matter what your deal is, what your contract is, every year is pivotal because you’ve got to earn your job every single day in this league, Campbell said. "For me, it's a pivotal time in my career. I'm excited for this new and fresh opportunity to be here. So yeah, I'm excited."
Campbell understands that one healthy season in which he recorded career highs in receptions (63), receiving yards (623), and touchdowns (3) will not change the narrative about him and his durability. But with the Giants, he believes he can build on those numbers and change that perception.
"I say this all the time. I just feel like I had some unlucky breaks," Campbell said. "Hopefully, I got all the injury history out on the front end. So, I’m just excited for what’s to come."
Part of that excitement comes from the chance to play with quarterback Daniel Jones. Campbell, who has played with many older, more established quarterbacks over his NFL career, opined that he and Jones have already developed chemistry.
"I feel like with Daniel, he's just more so open. I'm learning from him, and he's learning from me. We’re kind of working it together. That will make us better because we're always talking, always having that conversation of, ‘Oh, what’d you see here? What’d you want me to do? I can do this.’ It’s a whole ongoing conversation that makes us better."
Speaking of getting better, Campbell is also high on the Giants receiving corps, which he believes will be difficult to deal with given the talent's ability to place stress on a defense. While he acknowledged that tight end Darren Waller is a guy who will get a lot of attention from defenses this season because of his massive talent, Campbell has also been impressed with the rookie third-round pick Jaylin Hyatt's early performance in training camp, which Campbell said has grown with each play.
"I've seen him come in and kind of be shy, kind of timid, but then kind of just break out into who he is and show his personality and stuff like that," Campbell said of Hyatt. "Everybody was once a rookie, but you can also see just his confidence growing in each play that he makes. I think that’s just going to continue to build.
Campbell understands the challenges of a rookie receiver like Hyatt and knows that his performance is even more impressive because this offense is not a simple offense to pick up. That fact is not exclusive to rookie receivers; it is an issue for rookies who enter the NFL regardless of position. But, there is a point where they must realize that the NFL is where they belong.
"I feel like rookies, in general, kind of just having that moment to know that you belong in the league and know that you're supposed to be here," Campbell said. "As I said, it goes back to just building that confidence.
"I think once you have that confidence to know, ‘I can play with these guys; I'm supposed to be here,’ things just take off for you. Because it's something new, it’s something different. Everybody's good at this level."
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