Shane Lemieux activated from IR by Giants

Lemieux could start at left guard Sunday vs. Lions

Shane Lemieux, who missed the first nine games following surgery to repair a foot injury that included both turf toe from a dislocation of the big toe on his left foot and a fracture of that same toe, is being activated from injured reserve by the New York Giants.

Lemieux, who was expected to be the team’s starting left guard when the season began, is reportedly in line to be the starter at that spot on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

Rookie Joshua Ezeudu, who started the last two games at left guard in place of the injured Ben Bredeson, has been dealing with a neck injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.

Lemieux, a 2020 fifth-round pick by the Giants, was expected to be the Giants’ starting left guard a season ago. Lemieux, though, played only 17 snaps before landing on injured reserve for the remainder of the season due to a torn patella tendon suffered in training camp.

This season, Lemieux suffered his foot injury in the team’s first preseason game. He has been sidelined since.

Lemieux, who never missed a snap in four seasons at Oregon, called both injuries “freak incidents.” Missing a season-and-a-half to injury in the NFL has not been easy.

“It’s tough,” Lemieux told me recently. “Mentally, it tough. Things happen, you’ve got to kind of work through it. I feel like I’ve overcome a lot of adversity these last two years.

“It’s put me through a lot of trials and tribulations and made me mentally tougher than I have ever been.”

The time away from the field has given Lemieux some perspective.

“When you’re on the field you’ve gotta take full advantage,” he said. “This is a really physical game and injuries are a part of it. The injury rate in the NFL is 100 percent.”

The Giants are also elevating tight end Lawrence Cager from the practice squad for Sunday’s game. This will be Cager’s third elevation.