NY Giants DE Mathias Kiwanuka Cleared to Play Football

Mathias Kiwanuka can physically play football once more. It's not yet clear if he will be with the Giants this fall.

New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese confirmed on Saturday that Kiwanuka has been medically cleared to play. There was speculation as of Saturday morning that Kiwanuka may either never be medically cleared or may simply choose to walk away from the game of football due to a neck injury that was sustained in week 3 of the 2010 NFL regular season. According to both NJ.com and ESPN.com, however, Kiwanuka is determined to take the field this summer or fall (depending on the NFL labor dispute).

"The consensus of all of the spine physicians and Dr. [Russ] Warren is that it is safe for Mathias to return to play," Reese stated. "I have talked to Mathias and he is fully committed to returning to football."

This is outstanding news for the soon-to-be 28 year old defensive end. Giants fans shouldn't automatically assume that Kiwanuka will be wearing a Big Blue jersey come September. His contract with the Giants has expired and the team has quite a bit of depth on the defensive line. There has been speculation that the Giants would only offer Kiwanuka a one-year deal. If this is the case, the versatile defensive player may test the free agency waters whenever a new CBA is in place.