Since he was drafted by the New York Giants in the 2011 NFL Draft, Prince Amukamura has seen some up-and-down moments. Some of those moments range from when he was thrown into the ice bath for some rookie hazing, to when he stepped on the field for his first time in the NFL, and picked off Vince Young on his first play. But other than those two moments, Prince Amukamara hasn’t exactly lived up to his potential.
The upcoming 2015 season is going to be a very critical one for Amukamara, as he is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He is set to only make $6.8 million, which is low for most cornerbacks nowadays, so the Giants are in no rush and are happy with that current situation. It is also important to point out that the Giants are also trying to extend quarterback Eli Manning, and since he is the face of the franchise, he will take precedence over anybody else. But if worst comes to worst, the Giants can always place the franchise tag on Amukamara, like they did with Jason Pierre-Paul, which would give them time to work out a long term deal.
That said, both sides are obviously not opposed to agreeing on a new deal, but the Giants did state that they are going to wait and see how this season plays out before they commit to the cornerback. The main reason for them being hesitant is because Amukamara has had health issues since he's entered the League. In his first four years, Amukamara has only played one full season, and has only appeared in 44 out of 64 possible games. Amukamara has had numerous injuries in that time, some of which that have ended his season short, including a biceps tendon tear that came in Week 8 of last season.
It's no secret how important Amukamara is to the Giants' defense, and it is vital that he is on the field. New York does have Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at the number one cornerback spot, but they did lose Walter Thurmond III this offseason to the rival Eagles. So, if Amukamara did happen to suffer another injury that would keep him out for an extended period of time, it would really hurt because there is no one to lean on. The Giants did sign Chykie Brown and Chandler Fenner this off-season, but the team would be asking a lot if one of those guys needed to step in and start.
Everyone knows that injuries can happen at anytime, and that they can't be controlled, but sometimes they can really set back a player's career. Prince Amukamara certainly has the talent to be a very good cornerback in the NFL, but his body has held him back up to this point. But if he can remain healthy, and put up solid numbers in both tackles and interceptions, he will certainly find himself back on the Giants with a brand new contract in 2016.