Giants tight end attends Knicks game despite illness ruling out draft-implications matchup vs Cowboys

New York Giants tight extremity Theo Johnson attended a New York Knicks crippled connected Friday nighttime contempt being ruled retired for nan team’s Week 18 crippled because of an unwellness connected nan aforesaid day.

Johnson, 24, did not play successful nan Giants’ 34-10 triumph successful Week 17 complete nan Las Vegas Raiders owed to an illness, and did not believe each week. NFL fans took to societal media, speculating if nan Giants were holding Johnson retired nether nan guise of an unwellness to thief vessel for a higher draught pick.

The second-year tight extremity added substance to nan fire, reposting a image of himself connected nan Madison Square Garden jumbotron and captioning it, "I americium not sick."

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New York Giants tight extremity Theo Johnson (84) practices earlier nan crippled astatine MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey, connected Dec. 21, 2025. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)

The Giants said Saturday that Johnson has an infection, which is designated arsenic an unwellness connected nan injury report, but he doesn’t person nan flu aliases COVID, meaning he tin beryllium astir others without being a risk. Johnson was first listed connected nan wounded study pinch an unwellness past Friday.

"He’s conscionable still sewage a small spot of sickness and conscionable infection that we’re conscionable moving through. So he’s conscionable benignant of trying to cleanable it up, spot wherever it goes," Interim caput coach Mika Kafka said of Johnson, according to The Athletic.

With a nonaccomplishment past week, nan Giants would person secured nan No. 1 wide pick successful nan 2026 NFL Draft sloppy of Week 18 results. However, they blew retired nan lowly Raiders, meaning that Week 18’s results person awesome draught implications.

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New York Giants tight extremity Theo Johnson (84) makes a drawback against Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone (34) during nan 2nd half astatine Ford Field successful Detroit, Michigan, connected Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (IMAGN)

If nan Giants hit nan Dallas Cowboys connected Sunday, they could driblet arsenic acold arsenic No. 7 successful nan draught order. If nan Giants triumph and nan Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Washington Commanders lose, they will driblet to No. 7.

If nan Browns, Titans, Cardinals, Jets, and Commanders triumph their respective games, a Giants triumph would beryllium little consequential. For example, if nan Browns and Titans win, and nan Cardinals, Jets and Commanders lose, past nan Giants would driblet to nan No. 5 spot pinch a triumph complete nan Cowboys.

If nan Giants lose, they still person an extracurricular chance of getting nan No. 1 pick. For nan Giants to get nan No. 1 wide pick, they would request nan Raiders to win, and 2 of nan pursuing 4 things to happen: The Seattle Seahawks hit nan San Francisco 49ers, nan Browns hit nan Cincinnati Bengals, nan Atlanta Falcons hit nan New Orleans Saints, aliases nan Chicago Bears conclusion nan Detroit Lions.

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Those 4 games each effect nan team’s spot of schedule compared to nan Raiders.

Regardless, if nan Giants suffer to nan Cowboys, nan lowest they tin prime is No. 2 overall. With a triumph endangering nan team’s chances of a apical pick, Johnson’s attendance astatine nan Knicks crippled was notable, arsenic fans questioned whether nan tight extremity had an unwellness astatine all.

Johnson, who has 5 drops this season, has flashed immoderate playmaking ability, pinch 45 catches for 528 yards and 5 touchdowns successful 15 games.

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