Player
Sterling Shepard
WR
Durability through injuries and roster churn cements Shepard as one of the longest-tenured slot receivers of his draft class. 443 catches for a player who lost nearly three full seasons to ACL/Achilles tears is a testament to his continuity value.
10-year career across NYG and TB. 4,800 career receiving yards and 443 receptions — the Giants' steady slot WR through the wilderness years.
MilestoneCareer regular-season totals
| Stat | Total |
|---|---|
| Games (reg season) | 111 |
| Receptions | 443 |
| Receiving Yards | 4,800 |
| Receiving TDs | 25 |
| Y/R | 10.84 |
Why it matters. Durability through injuries and roster churn cements Shepard as one of the longest-tenured slot receivers of his draft class. 443 catches for a player who lost nearly three full seasons to ACL/Achilles tears is a testament to his continuity value.
Peak 2018: 66-872-4 — his best yardage season as the post-OBJ trade Giants WR1.
TrendShepard year-by-year (regular season)
| Year | Rec | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 (rookie) | 65 | 683 | 8 |
| 2017 | 59 | 731 | 2 |
| 2018 | 66 | 872 | 4 |
| 2019 | 57 | 576 | 3 |
| 2020 | 66 | 656 | 3 |
Receiving yards by year
| Season | Yards |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 683 |
| 2017 | 731 |
| 2018 | 872 |
| 2019 | 576 |
| 2020 | 656 |
Why it matters. With OBJ gone after 2018, Shepard stepped up as the clear WR1 and delivered his best yardage year — proving he could carry a receiving corps even on a struggling team.
NYG era: 8 years, 4,095 yards, 372 receptions. TB era: 2 years, 705 yards as a veteran depth piece.
SplitShepard career splits (regular season)
| Stop | Years | Rec | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYG | 2016-2023 | 372 | 4,095 | 23 |
| TB | 2024-2025 | 71 | 705 | 2 |
Why it matters. The NYG→TB arc shows the two phases of Shepard's career: franchise-slot anchor versus veteran specialist. The TB numbers prove he can still contribute after three major lower-body injuries.
Three major lower-body injuries (2021, 2022, 2023) cut his prime short — just 20 games across three seasons.
AnomalyInjury-shortened seasons (regular season)
| Year | Games | Rec | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7 | 36 | 366 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3 | 13 | 154 | 1 |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 | 57 | 1 |
Why it matters. Three consecutive seasons lost to catastrophic leg injuries erased what would have been the peak of Shepard's earnings and statistical prime; his 2024 comeback at 31 makes the TB chapters genuinely remarkable.
Rookie 2016: 65 catches, 683 yards, 8 TDs — the bright spot of the last NYG playoff team.
MilestoneShepard 2016 rookie season (regular season)
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Rec | 65 |
| Yds | 683 |
| TDs | 8 |
| Games | 16 |
Why it matters. Eight receiving TDs as a rookie slot receiver is elite production; only a handful of WRs in his draft class matched that TD output in their first NFL season.
Among NYG WRs since 2010, Shepard ranks 2nd in receptions — behind only OBJ, ahead of Victor Cruz.
ComparisonNYG WR receptions since 2010 (regular season, top 6)
| Rank | Player | Rec | Yds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OBJ | 390 | 5,476 |
| 2 | Sterling Shepard | 372 | 4,095 |
| 3 | Victor Cruz | 303 | 4,549 |
| 4 | Darius Slayton | 296 | 4,435 |
| 5 | Hakeem Nicks | 271 | 3,886 |
| 6 | Wan'Dale Robinson | 268 | 2,465 |
Why it matters. Ranking 2nd in receptions among all Giants WRs across a 15-year window — behind only one of the most electric receivers in NFL history — quantifies just how deeply embedded Shepard was in the NYG offense.
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