New York Giants Place DE Mathias Kiwanuka on IR

New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka will not take the field again during the 2010 NFL season. It's possible he'll never again play as a member of the Giants.

Numerous sources in the New York area, including ESPN New York, are reporting that Kiwanuka will be placed on injured reserve before Thursday comes to an end. Kiwanuka has been dealing with a herniated cervical disk in his neck for the past month. He hasn't played since week three of the 2010 season, when the Titans defeated the Giants 29-10 at the Meadowlands.

Kiawnuka had a fantastic start to the 2010 NFL season, leading the team in sacks with four in just three games. With that said, the Giants defense has been fantastic in the team's previous four games. Without Kiwanuka on the field, New York has gone 4-0, with victories over Chicago, Houston and Dallas.

Mathias Kiwanuka is in the last year of his contract with the Giants, and most Giants "experts" expected the team to let the talented pass rusher walk after the end of the 2010 season.

The Giants will fill Kiwanuka's roster spot by signing kick returner Will Blackmon.

The news on Kiwanuka is not good, but it's hardly a surprise. It became very clear over the past week that the team was not going to put Kiwanuka on the field anytime soon. The Giants are in the middle of a bye week and the defense is already used to not having Kiwanuka's services. Depth was a big issue for the Giants in 2009. We'll see if things go differently during the second half of 2010.