New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul believes he is done with the heavy club wrap he wore on his right hand during games last season.
On a conference call Tuesday, Pierre-Paul said he had a successful surgery right after the season to increase the flexibility in the fingers on his damaged hand and that he'll play with fewer limitations in 2016.
"I can use whatever I want, whatever makes me feel comfortable," Pierre-Paul said. "Like I've said before, I'm not going to use a club next year. If I feel like I want to, I can, but my hand is perfectly fine, and I've said that multiple times, so this should be a question that shouldn't be asked anymore."
Pierre-Paul isn't likely to get that wish. But after re-signing with the Giants last week for one year and a contract that could pay him up to $10.5 million if he reaches all of his incentives, he's in position to take advantage of a full offseason and a full season, two things he didn't get last year because of his contract dispute and the July 4 fireworks accident that cost him his right index finger. The Giants' offseason program begins April 11, and Pierre-Paul said he plans to be there for all of it.
"I'm expected to be there, and I'm going to be on time for everything," Pierre-Paul said. "Anything can happen at any given moment, but as of right now I'm planning on being there and showing my face and being with the team from April 11 on out."
Pierre-Paul tested the free-agent market but couldn't find a deal longer than the one the Giants were offering. Believing his best bet for eventually landing a long-term deal was to prove in 2016 that he can still produce at a high level, he said he decided to return to the team that drafted him and for which he has played the first six years of his career.
"First of all, I've only been in New York, so it's hard to go somewhere for one year and try to learn a new system and all that," Pierre-Paul said. "So I decided I would stay for that particular reason. I feel like I had unfinished business. I didn't have a full 16-game season last year. I played pretty well, but I know what I'm capable of doing on the field and how much I change the defense when I'm around. When I step on the field for that first game, I have to achieve everything I want to achieve, stay healthy and play the whole 16 games, which I should."