Jason Pierre-Paul has become a high-profile cautionary tale for fireworks use on the July 4 holiday.
But this Independence Day, Pierre-Paul had one thing on his mind: getting to 100 career NFL sacks.
Pierre-Paul, the two-time Super Bowl champion who famously lost two-and-a-half fingers in a fireworks accident 10 years ago, is still working out in hopes of making a comeback after more than 18 months out of the game.
Pierre-Paul has 94.5 career NFL sacks, plus 3.5 in the playoffs, but has not recorded one since his half-sack for the Baltimore Ravens in their 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2023 AFC Wild Card round. He has not played since Dec. 11, 2023, when he was a member of the Miami Dolphins.
What Is Jason Pierre-Paul Doing To Come Back?
At 36, and with only seven-and-a-half fingers plus a broken neck sustained in a car accident in 2019, that Pierre-Paul is still able to play is remarkable.
According to ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan, Pierre-Paul is doing 25-to-30 pullups with ease. He has shared his videos of his workouts on Instagram in hopes of attracting a tryout or a contract.
“I can still do it,” Pierre-Paul told ESPN.
Pierre-Paul was the 15th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft from the University of South Florida. He was picked by the New York Giants, and according to Ranaan, would love to be reunited with Big Blue.
“I think that’ll be dope. Tremendous,” Pierre-Paul said. “To go back somewhere where my career started … the fans know me and know the type of player that I am. I’ll always be that type of player and just give ’em everything I got, which I know it’ll be more than enough.”
How Good Is Jason Pierre-Paul?
Pierre-Paul made his name as a game-wrecking EDGE rusher with freakish athleticism. He was named a first-team All-Pro in 2011 after posting 16.5 sacks and helped the Giants win the Super Bowl.
But the fireworks accident altered his career and cost him eight games during the 2015 season. It very nearly cost him his career, and life, and Pierre-Paul stated that he has learned from his mistake.
“I wouldn’t want my kids to go through something I went through. … I learned from it,” Pierre-Paul told ESPN. “At the end of the day, I’m a big person, but this happened to me. It could happen to anybody.
“So put it out there. What’s to be embarrassed about? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s just you live and learn from it.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired him in March 2018, and he had 33 sacks and 35 tackles for loss in 54 games while helping Tampa Bay win the Super Bowl in 2020.
Pierre-Paul had 9.5 sacks, two interceptions and 55 tackles, earning Pro Bowl recognition that season, then posted two sacks and 13 tackles for the Bucs in the playoffs.
According to ESPN, if he does not get back in the NFL, Pierre-Paul has spent his time speaking to warn of the dangers of fireworks. Despite the injury, he is grateful to wake up and excited to become his best self.
“I got 7.5 fingers. You’re still living,” he said. “You get an opportunity every day to take that deep breath, taste that nice drink you want to taste? Getting a glass of milk or having coffee in the morning, whatever is your thing.
“You get another chance of it every day. So why not be great at what you got going on?”
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