When the New York Giants look across the field on Monday night, looking back at them will be former friend and team captain, Julian Love.
Although he was offered a deal, the Giants and Love could not come to an agreement this offseason and he ultimately landed with the Seattle Seahawks. The departure came as a surprise and through three weeks of the season, it sure seems like the Giants could use the versatile safety.
Instead, Love is now the enemy and his former teammates, some of whom are still close with the 25-year-old, expect him to spill the beans on Wink Martindale’s defense.
“I hope not, but then again at the same time that’s the team he’s with and at the end of the day he’s going to do what he needs to do for them to get the best chance to win,” cornerback Adoree’ Jackson told reporters on Tuesday. “As a person, knowing, playing with him, I hope he wouldn’t but at the end of the day that’s his new team, that’s who his loyalty is with so I’m just excited to see him and play.”
Jackson said he hasn’t talked to Love this week with a game looming, but other Giants haven’t gone radio silent.
Safety Xavier McKinney got together with Love for a game of 2K just a few short days ago.
“Yeah, I was actually just playing a game with him (on Sunday). We were on 2K,” McKinney said. “But yeah, man, I mean, I miss him, playing next to him, he’s a good friend of mine. We were teammates. He’s a great guy. Great dude. It’s going to be fun being able to play against him.
“Obviously, I was able to play alongside of him. So now, we’re going to be competing and going against each other this coming Monday. It’s going to be fun, but at the end of the day, we’re still brothers. We talk. It’ll be good though.”
Meanwhile, the man who replaced Love, safety Jason Pinnock, views Monday night as an opportunity to define himself; to prove the Giants made the right choice and are now in better hands.
“I don’t think I’m filling in a role, I think it’s a new role, I think it’s me,” Pinnock told the New York Post. “I’m me, my play, my style, that’s me. It’s not Julian Love Jr.”
Pinnock certainly seems motivated by this came but you had better believe Love will be, too.
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