NFC Notes: Nick Gates, Dave Gettleman, Giants, Washington

Nick Gates

Giants OL Nick Gates remains hospitalized and is set to undergo more procedures on his fractured leg. It is unknown at this point if the injury will be career-ending, and HC Joe Judge spoke to the media about the subject.

“I’d be lying, if from my perspective, if I said no,” Judge said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN. “I know that there are some comparisons to other players. These things are all different. I know he’s going to have the best medical care possible, here or elsewhere whatever we can do. So we are confident he’s going to be able to come back. We gotta keep his mind going down there. Xbox or something like that. Listen, the guy is in a bed all day. Trying to take his mind off it. When he gets back, obviously we’ll keep this guy as involved as we can with the team.”

Like Judge, Gates’ agent Jon Perzley is confident that the injured offensive lineman will return to the Giants at some point next year.

“Mark my word, Nick will be back in blue next year,” Perzley said. “While in some cases these types of injuries can be career-threatening, Nick’s situation is not that. It doesn’t hurt that he is the toughest guy on the planet.”

Giants

Despite starting the season 0-3, Giants RB Saquon Barkley isn’t ready to hit the panic button on his team yet, and believes that they can still turn their season around.

“I don’t think we’re a bad team, to be honest,” Barkley said, via NJ.com. “There are no bad teams in the NFL. I’m sick of losing. Everyone is sick of losing. But I wouldn’t consider us a bad team. We’ve just got to figure it out.”

• NJ.com’s Zack Rosenblatt said there were a lot of rumblings this offseason about the Giants making changes in the front office, including with GM Dave Gettleman. An 0-3 start has done nothing to quiet those rumors and an agent with multiple Giants players tells him: “I’ve heard about how they may be looking to change things up. It’s going to shake up or reshape itself in the near future.”
• Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports Giants WR Sterling Shepard has a chance to play this week despite hurting his hamstring. 

Washington

• Washington HC Ron Rivera said DE Chase Young has room to grow: “He’s had some really good moments. … But it’s just one of those things, he gets a little extra attention … but he’s really got to understand what his strengths are and attack it with those strengths, because he really can be a disruptive player.” (Nicki Jhabvala)