Giants' Bobby Okereke: Dealing with herniated disc
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Okereke (back) was given a recovery timeline of 4-to-6 weeks after sustaining a herniated disc, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.
Okereke has been out of action since he picked up the injury back in Week 13 at Dallas, so the stated timetable for return would suggest he should be ready to go by OTAs ahead of next season. He projects to be a key contributor for the Giants' defense again in 2025.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Sent to injured reserve
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New York placed Okereke (back) on injured reserve Saturday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
Okereke had already been ruled out for Week 16 against the Falcons, and this knocks him out for the remainder of the regular season. The veteran linebacker hadn't played since Week 13, and he'll finish the season with 93 tackles (47 solo), including six TFLs and 2.0 sacks, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Sixth-round rookie Darius Muasau should continue to start in Okereke's place the remainder of the year.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Out for Week 16
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Okereke (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Okereke will miss his third straight contest. Darius Muasau and Micah McFadden started at linebacker last Sunday against the Ravens and should do so once again this week. Okereke's next chance to suit up will be next Sunday against his former Colts teammates.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Sidelined for Wednesday
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Okereke (back) didn't practice Wednesday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
The second-year Giant has missed New York's last two games due to a back injury likely sustained in a Week 13 loss to the Cowboys, and Wednesday's DNP is an indication that he's still dealing with the issue. Okereke likely needs to upgrade to at least limited practice participation Thursday or Friday in order to suit up Sunday, when the Giants face the Falcons.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Ruled out for Week 15
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Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Friday that Okereke (back) is ruled out for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Okereke will miss a second consecutive game due to his lingering back injury. The veteran linebacker had averaged double-digit tackles (10.4) in his prior five appearances, making his absence a significant loss for New York's defense. Darius Muasau will again be the primary beneficiary of increased opportunities with Okoreke sidelined.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Not practicing Wednesday
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Okereke (back) is sidelined at practice Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
Okereke missed his first game of the 2024 regular season Week 14, and it looks like he could be a candidate to remain sidelined against the Ravens on Sunday. Darius Muasau, who recorded eight tackles (seven solo) in Week 14, will be in line to draw another start versus Baltimore if Okereke can't go.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Misses practice Wednesday
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Okereke didn't practice Wednesday due to a back injury, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports.
The 28-year-old linebacker appears to have sustained the injury during the Giants' Week 13 loss to the Cowboys, despite recording nine total tackles and one pass breakup over 67 defensive snaps. Okereke could be at risk of missing his first game of the season in the Week 14 matchup against the Saints if he's unable to upgrade to at least limited practice participation by Friday.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Racks up 11 tackles Sunday
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Okereke recorded 11 tackles (four solo) during Sunday's 20-17 overtime loss against the Panthers.
As usual, Okereke paced Giants linebackers in snaps (55) in Week 10, and he posted nine-plus tackles for his third consecutive game. He projects as a solid IDP option in most formats for the home stretch of the season.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Records nine stops in Week 9
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Okereke notched nine tackles (five solo), including one for a loss, in a defeat against the Commanders on Sunday.
Okereke finished second on New York in tackles behind Micah McFadden, who racked up 14. Okereke has 23 stops over the past two weeks after averaging a modest (by his standards) 5.9 tackles through his first seven contests. The veteran linebacker has 64 total stops through nine games as he seeks to reach 130 tackles for the fourth consecutive campaign.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Racks up 14 stops against Steelers
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Okereke totaled 14 tackles (seven solo), including 0.5 sacks, while also forcing and recovering a fumble in a loss to Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football in Week 8.
Okereke was all over the place Monday, finishing with more tackles than any player on the field by a considerable margin. His biggest play came in the latter portion of the fourth quarter, as he combined with Micah McFadden on a sack of a scrambling Russell Wilson, punched the ball out of the QB's grasp and recovered the fumble himself. The double-digit tackle effort was the first of the season for Okereke after he logged seven such performances last year.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Set to anchor Giants defense
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Okereke enters the 2024 campaign as New York's defensive anchor after leading the team with 149 tackles (including 2.5 sacks) last season while also recording four forced fumbles and 10 defensed passes (including two interceptions).
After four years with Indianapolis, Okereke joined the Giants ahead of last season and shined in his first campaign in New York. He recorded career-best marks in sacks, pass defenses and forced fumbles while finishing two tackles shy of his career-high total in that category. Okereke surprisingly didn't make the Pro Bowl and didn't earn an All-Pro selection, though NFL.com writer Kevin Patra named him as the Giants' "unsung hero." Okereke is set to lead New York's linebacker corps again in 2024 and is a solid IDP option after averaging 150 tackles over the past two seasons.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Posts big effort in loss to Rams
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Okereke finished with 10 tackles (two solo), including 1.5 sacks, in Sunday's Week 17 loss to the Rams.
Okereke led the Giants in stops Sunday, recording his eighth double-digit tackle effort of the season. He also tallied 1.5 sacks after coming into the contest with no sacks since 2021. Getting to the quarterback isn't a frequent part of his role, but Okereke has been a standout IDP option throughout his first season in New York, and he needs nine tackles in the team's regular-season finale to match his career-best mark of 151.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Records 10 stops in Week 16 loss
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Okereke finished Monday's loss to the Eagles with 10 tackles (eight solo) and a deflected pass.
Okereke has been excellent in his first season with the Giants, though his tackle output had been on the decline prior to Monday, and he posted a season-low three stops Week 15 versus Indianapolis. The fifth-year linebacker bounced back with 10 tackles against Philadelphia, tying for the team lead and marking his seventh double-digit tackle effort of the campaign. Okereke ranks 10th in the NFL with 132 stops on the season, and he has a chance of reaching his career-best mark of 151 tackles, which he set last year with the Colts.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Dominant in Week 6 loss
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Okereke tallied 11 tackles (eight solo), including two for loss, and forced a fumble while adding two pass breakups in Sunday's loss to Buffalo.
Okereke was all over the field as the New York defense repeatedly held down Buffalo's vaunted offense to keep the game close. Among his impactful plays was a Josh Allen pass he batted into the air in the second quarter, resulting in a Micah McFadden interception in Giants territory. The pair had previously teamed up for a turnover in the first quarter, when Okereke punched the ball away from Gabe Davis for a fumble that McFadden recovered. Okereke has been excellent in his first season with the Giants, recording a team-high 53 tackles (including five for loss) along with an interception and two forced fumbles through six contests.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Records INT and 10 tackles Week 5
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Okereke returned an interception seven yards and added 10 tackles (four solo) in a loss to Miami on Sunday.
Okereke notched his fourth career pickoff in the third quarter when he intercepted a Tua Tagovailoa pass that was intended for Jaylen Waddle. Okereke also recorded 10 tackles in the loss, matching the season-high mark he set last week against Seattle. The fifth-year linebacker has posted 42 stops across five games in his first year as a Giant.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Tallies 10 tackles in loss
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Okereke finished with 10 tackles (six solo) and a pass breakup in Monday's 24-3 loss to Seattle.
Okereke led the Giants in stops, doubling up the five tackles registered by his closest competition (Micah McFadden and Deonte Banks with five each). Though it's been a rough start to the season for New York, Okereke has looked good in his first campaign with the club, racking up a team-leading 32 stops (21 solo) through four weeks. He's increased his tackle total each week thus far.
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Giants' Bobby Okereke: Forces fumble in blowout loss
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Okereke registered five tackles (four solo) and a forced fumble in Sunday's 40-0 loss to the Cowboys.
Despite the blowout, Okereke played in all 55 defensive snaps. He managed to knock the ball out of the hands of running back Tony Pollard in the red zone but the defense wasn't able to pounce on the loose ball. Okereke and the Giants will look to reverse their fortunes in Week 2 as they hit the road to face the Cardinals on Sunday.
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Colts' Bobby Okereke: Logs nine tackles in loss
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Okereke recorded nine tackles (seven solo) in Monday's 20-3 loss to the Chargers.
It is the fourth time this season Okereke logged nine tackles and the third of the four times that six of those tackles were solo. He was able to put that production together across 50 defensive snaps (74 percent). The 26-year-old will look to continue producing in Week 17 when the Colts take on the Giants.
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Colts' Bobby Okereke: Nine tackles in win
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Okereke registered nine tackles in the Colts' 12-9 overtime win over the Broncos on Thursday.
Okereke returned to his regular workload Thursday, playing all 71 defensive snaps in the contest, finishing with nine tackles in the victory. The linebacker is now up to 42 tackles on the campaign while also deflecting a pass over five games.
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Colts' Bobby Okereke: Records double-digit tackles
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Okereke registered 11 tackles (nine) solo, with one for a loss, in the Colts' 24-0 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Okereke now has recorded double-digit tackles for the seventh time in his four-year career. Sunday's effort brings the 26-year-old to 18 (15 solo) on the season, putting him on pace to outdo his previous career-best 132 tackles last year. Okereke will look to keep rolling in a tough Week 3 matchup with the Chiefs.
