McAdoo: Sterling Shepard Appears To Have Sprained Ankle

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard was carted off the practice field Wednesday, but the injury appears only to be a sprained ankle, coach Ben McAdoo said.

The second-year player was "apparently in tears" before being evaluated, ESPN reported, stoking fears that he may have suffered a serious injury. Shepard was still being examined when McAdoo spoke to reporters after practice, but the coach said, "At this point, it just looks like he has a sprained ankle."

"We'll see how he responds to treatment and go from there," McAdoo added.

NFL Network later reported that Shepard suffered a low ankle injury and is expected to be out a few days.

It's not yet clear how long Shepard might be sidelined. The injury happened during a drill in which he was running a hammer route, McAdoo said.

"He put his foot in the ground, and he rolled his ankle," the coach said.

The use of the cart was precautionary.

With Shepard, Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall, the Giants' receiving corps is expected to be one of the team's strengths this season. A second-round draft pick out of Oklahoma in 2016, Shepard caught 65 passes for 683 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

If Shepard is sidelined for an extended period of time, other receivers who might be asked to step up include Dwayne Harris, Roger Lewis and Tavarres King. Rookie tight end Evan Engram also could see an increased role.