While there have been some optimistic reports about Jason Pierre-Paul’s return to the football field at some point, one player who knew a thing or two about getting to quarterbacks said it’s going to be that much more difficult for him now.
Former Eagles and Jets defensive end Hugh Douglas said Pierre-Paul could struggle to approach his old form now that he’s lost the index finger on his right hand in a fireworks accident.
“I don’t know,’' Douglas told Mark Eckel of NJ.com. “I couldn’t imagine having to play without your index finger, especially on your right hand. God gave you five fingers for a reason.
“Just from a tactical standpoint that’s your grabbing hand, to not have an index finger it makes it hard to grab. I’m trying to grab a piece of wood right now and not use my index finger, it’s hard. You can’t grip. For him as a pass rusher, he’s gong to be losing his power.’'
Douglas said he’s played with a broken thumb before, but thought losing the ability to use a full hand to get away from offensive linemen will be a challenge.
“He’s going to have to re-learn everything he does,’' Douglas said. “He’s going to have to learn how to use his hand without having an index finger.”
While that seems obvious, the challenge of hand placement is often overlooked for linemen, and as with everything else in life, Pierre-Paul is going to have to adjust.
