EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks hopes to return soon from a scary leg injury that required emergency surgery 10 days ago.
Speaking with the media for the first time since surgery on his lower left leg, Nicks said Wednesday he was expecting nothing more than an MRI exam following the Giants’ 17-17 loss in Philadelphia on Nov. 21. Instead, he was told he needed an operation for Compartment Syndrome, which causes swelling and requires a procedure to relieve pressure on nerves and blood vessels.
“I went in and didn’t expect anything,” the second-year receiver said. “I thought it was an MRI and they say I need immediate surgery. I said, ’Now?’ They said, ’We caught it just in time’.”
Nicks, the Giants leading receiver, says his leg swelled “maybe two inches.”
He was scheduled to see a doctor later Wednesday night. There’s no timetable for his return to the lineup. The Giants (7-4) take on Washington (5-6) on Sunday.
Even after missing time, Nicks easily tops the team with 62 receptions for 800 yards and nine touchdowns. His injury was especially untimely because Steve Smith, who caught a team-record 107 balls last season, is out with a torn pectoral muscle.
Nicks has no idea how he was injured, just that his leg began getting tight during the Eagles game, and then began to swell.
“It could have been (dangerous), so this was a blessing,” Nicks said. “I’m keeping the wound clean and making sure that’s the end of it.”
Smith said there is an outside chance he will play against Washington.
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