The New York Giants didn’t sign free agent offensive tackle Mike Remmers until May this year as they were waiting for their medical staff to give him a clean bill of health.
The 30-year-old Remmers underwent back surgery in April and was not going to be ready until training camp and, even then, the Giants were simply being hopeful. They inked Remmers for one season at $2.5 million, a ‘prove-it’ deal.
Remmers was ready for the season and has started every game this season at right tackle with the exception of the Week 10 loss to the Jets, which he missed due to his back again.
On Friday, offensive line coach Hal Hunter had nothing but praise for Remmers, who the Giants could seek to extend after this season.
“I think after missing all of that time and coming back from that back surgery and he missed all of spring, and then he didn’t practice. We had to hold him out a bunch at camp and everything. I think he’s practiced pretty solid, played pretty solid,” Hunter told reporters.
“I think last week his guy never touched the quarterback. It’s been a long time since he’s given up a sack. The thing that I like about Mike is he’s 303-304, he’s not a giant guy, but he plays with good leverage. What he is, he is so competitive and so tough and it’s so important for him, he just overachieves every time he’s in the game. He’s going to get his job done or die trying.
“I think he’s been fairly productive. He’s much more productive than we probably thought he was going to be because going into the season, we thought it was going to be Chad Wheeler. I don’t even know what zip code he’s in right now.
“But Mike Remmers came in and he’s been a really solid player for us. He’s a smart player, he’s intelligent, he’s got great natural leadership, too. He is the leader in the room.”
That’s a huge compliment for a guy who is only in his first season here and is on the same line with two other established veteran in left tackle Nate Solder and right guard Kevin Zeitler.
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