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Early Friday afternoon, the New York Giants released their final injury report for Week 18 and tight end Theo Johnson was listed as "out" with an illness for Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Hours later, Johnson was shown on the Madison Square Garden scoreboard while attending the New York Knicks game against the Atlanta Hawks. That appearance raised questions about how the second-year tight end could be out in public despite being set to miss the Giants' season finale in two days.
Johnson even took to Instagram on Friday night and posted a story with the caption, "I am not sick."
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This wasn't a case of the tanking theory that the Giants were keeping players out for a second straight week in hopes of of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. According to the team, Johnson is dealing with a non-contagious infection, “not the flu or COVID, where being around other people is a risk."
Interim head coach Mike Kafka was asked on Thursday about Johnson's week-long stay on the injury report with an illness. “So he’s just still got a little bit of a sickness and just infection that we’re just working through. So he’s just kind of trying to clean it up, see where it goes," he said.
Johnson was one of six Giants ruled out for Week 18, along with cornerback Cor'Dale Flott, safety Jevón Holland, offensive lineman Evan Neal, defensive lineman Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr. and wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.
The Giants needed to lose to the Las Vegas Raiders last week to secure the No. 1 pick. They did not, winning 34-10. Despite that, they still have a chance to own the top selection, but they need help in Week 18.
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On Sunday, the Giants need to lose to the Cowboys, have the Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs, and get 1 1/2 combined wins (a tie equals half a win) from the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Seattle Seahawks.
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