EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The New York Giants' struggling offensive line might have lost a key component when starting left guard Geoff Schwartz left Friday night's preseason game against the Jets with a dislocated toe.
Schwartz is scheduled for an MRI on Sunday to determine the severity of the injury. He will be evaluated by renowned foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C., next week, a source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com
"Pretty serious," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said after the game. "It's hard to play with a toe that's not functioning."
In the worst-case scenario, further tests could reveal an injury serious enough to require surgery and sideline Schwartz for the entire season. But even the best-case scenario calls into question Schwartz's availability for the Sept. 8 regular-season opener.
Schwartz took to Twitter after the game to offer thanks for an outpouring of support:
Thank you for all the well wishes. I appreciate it...I'll be working hard to get back on the field ASAP w/my teammates
- Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) August 23, 2014
Rookie Weston Richburg filled in for Schwartz at left guard Friday night and is the most likely candidate to do so if Schwartz has to miss games. But Richburg also has been a candidate to play right guard, where Brandon Mosley has not impressed this preseason. So even if Richburg turns out to be a capable fill-in, the injury to Schwartz obviously affects the Giants' depth on the offensive line.
Veteran guard John Jerry was signed this offseason as an insurance policy in case Chris Snee couldn't answer the bell. But even after Snee retired the day before training camp, Jerry hasn't done much to force himself into the mix. Promising young guard Eric Herman is suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's drug policy.
Schwartz's wasn't the only injury the Giants suffered in Friday night's game. Wide receiver Marcus Harris, who's had a strong training camp and was getting snaps with the first-team offense in this game, left with a shoulder injury. He said it's an AC joint injury that will require a 3-to-4-week recovery period.
"Hopefully my camp performance will be enough to keep me around," Harris said.
Defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (leg) and cornerback Zack Bowman (triceps) also left the game with injuries. Coughlin had no information on the severity of those.
Information from ESPNNewYork.com's Mike Mazzeo was used in this report.