EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Safety
Kenny Phillips' season with the New York Giants ended just days after
the best game of his career.
Phillips, who had two interceptions
in Sunday night's win over Dallas, was placed on injured reserve by the
Giants (2-0) on Thursday because of an unhealthy left knee. The team
also announced it was awarded safety Aaron Rouse off waivers from Green
Bay.
"I really feel for Kenny because he
had worked so hard during the offseason to prepare himself for the '09
season," general manager Jerry Reese said. "He had a great camp and was
just beginning to come into his own and showed flashes of being one of
the premier safeties in the NFL. We expect him to recover from this
setback and come back stronger than ever. This league is about making
adjustments and we will do that."
Phillips had been bothered by the
knee since training camp. An MRI on Wednesday revealed that the patella
femoral arthritis in his knee has worsened. A final determination has
not yet been made on how to treat the condition.
Phillips was stunned that he would have to miss the rest of the season.
"It never crossed my mind, ever,"
Phillips said. "I knew the situation. I just felt I could push it
through the season. So to get this news is a real shock."
Phillips was leading the team in interceptions (two) and tackles (16) and was tied for the lead in passes defended (two).
"The most important thing for us
right now is to realize it's an emotional time for Kenny Phillips,"
said coach Tom Coughlin, noting that Phillips looked like he had lost
his best friend after getting the news. "He had an excellent training
camp. He played the deep ball, really, unlike anybody we've had around
here."
With Phillips out, C.C. Brown will start Sunday at Tampa Bay.
The 31st overall selection in the
2008 draft, Phillips played in every game and had three starts as a
rookie. He finished with 66 tackles (43 solo), seven passes defended
and an interception.
With the loss of James Butler to free agency, he took over the starting job next to Michael Johnson.
"That is probably the toughest part.
I worked hard this offseason and I felt like this was going to be a big
year not only for me, but for the Giants," Phillips said. "I started
the season off pretty well with a few tackles, interceptions and for it
to just get snatched away from me like this is real tough."
Phillips, who missed two of the Giants' four preseason game, does not know when he hurt his knee.
"Everybody gets nicks and bruises in
training camp, so that's just what I thought it was," he said.
"Swelling occurred, but most people get swelling. As long as it goes
down, it's not a big deal.
Phillips is the third Giants player
to go on injured reserve. Rookie running back Andre Brown ruptured his
Achilles' tendon in training camp. Defensive tackle Jay Alford suffered
a knee injury in a preseason game in Chicago.
Rouse, 6-4 and 227 pounds, had nine
tackles in Green Bay's 31-24 loss to Cincinnati last week. He had three
solo tackles in the season-opening victory over Chicago.
A third-year pro, he has played in
27 games with 11 starts. He has 113 tackles (80 solo), seven passes
defended and four interceptions, including a pick of Peyton Manning
that he returned 99 yards for a touchdown last Oct. 19. It was the
longest interception return in Lambeau Field history.
Injuries in the secondary have
become a concern for the Giants. Cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Kevin
Dockery missed the opening two games with hamstring injuries and don't
appear ready to play this weekend.