LaVar Arrington Out For Giants Preseason Opener

Well, at least it's just the first preseason game...

Arrington to miss preseason opener
NFL.com wire reports
ALBANY, N.Y. (Aug. 9, 2006) -- The New York Giants will have to wait at least another week to see linebacker LaVar Arrington playing for them in a game.

Arrington, signed in the offseason and touted as a key addition as the Giants seek to elevate themselves into a Super Bowl contender, will miss New York's preseason opener against Baltimore Aug. 11 with soreness in his right knee.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin confirmed after practice that the three-time Pro Bowler would miss the game.

"We're in the process of developing a way in which we can manage this thing with him," Coughlin said. "As we go forward, we'll be under those guidelines. If we get him back next week, that will be fine. I'll be OK with that."

The soreness is affecting the same knee Arrington underwent two surgeries on in 2004 and 2005 when he was with the Washington Redskins. At Giants camp this month, he participated in team drills for the first week but has worked only briefly in one practice since Aug. 4. He watched from the sidelines again Aug. 9 at the University at Albany.

Arrington seemed unconcerned about the missed time.

"Whenever you have surgical procedures there's always things you have to pay attention to," he said. "I'm not in any danger zone, healthwise or anything like that. This is just the course the training staff has chosen to take. They're approaching it the right way. All I can do is pay attention and be a student of the game and pay attention and be ready."

Arrington suffered the original injury early in the 2004 season and had surgery to repair torn cartilage. He reinjured the knee in practice a month later, missed several more games and played a limited role in two more, then was put on injured reserve that December.

He underwent a second surgery in January 2005, at which time he publicly lashed out at the Redskins, claiming they didn't support him during the time he was injured and implying that he was rushed back too soon.

So far, he has given rave reviews to the Giants training staff.

"I'm not even in a situation where they would need to do what they're doing, but instead they're making 100 percent sure I'm OK and I think that's awesome," he said. "I think they saw how hard and how much I was doing when I was out there and they're forcing me to pace myself. It's a long season. You have to be mindful of that."

Arrington's history and his publicized disputes with the Redskins have focused extra attention on him at Giants camp. Arrington himself is keenly aware that his every move is being dissected and analyzed.

"I know at the end of the day when I get back on the field people will say, 'Oh, he really was telling the truth,"' he said. "The minute I knew they were going to slow me down, I knew this was going to be a media issue due to my having the injury in Washington. I'm telling you guys the total, 100 percent truth. I'm not holding anything back. We're staying the course, we're troubleshooting and making sure I'm as healthy as I possibly can be."

The Giants added Arrington for his pass-rushing abilities and to strengthen a linebacking corps that was wrecked by injuries last season. Starters Antonio Pierce, Reggie Torbor and Carlos Emmons finished the season on the sidelines, and four linebackers wound up on injured reserve.