Will Wan’Dale Robinson be ready to take the field with his teammates when the Giants open their season on Sept. 10 against the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium?
That seems to be a long-shot possibility for a player less than nine months removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL.
Clearly, though, the Giants believe Robinson is not far away from being able to contribute, as they activated him Tuesday off the physically unable to perform list, The Post confirmed, adding him to the roster on a day they must make a series of cuts to get down to the 53-player limit by 4 p.m. ET.
Robinson’s activation has impacted Jamison Crowder, a veteran slot receiver, who was released.
If Robinson, a second-year wide receiver, had remained on the PUP list at the start of the season he would be required to miss the first four games.
The Giants, after monitoring his rehab all spring and summer, are confident Robinson will be able to play before the first month of the regular season has expired.
This shows how much the front office and coaching staff value what Robinson can add to the offense.
The Giants used the 43rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to take Robinson, who started his college career at Nebraska and ended it at Kentucky.
He played in last year’s season opener, hurt a knee and missed the next four games.
Upon his return, Robinson slowly acclimated to the NFL.
He finally broke out in Week 11, catching nine passes for 100 yards in a loss to the Lions.
He also suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, ending his rookie season with 23 receptions for 227 yards and one touchdown.
There are plenty of slot targets for the Giants to use but they value what Robinson provides.
He can line up in the backfield for jet sweeps and is shifty on his routes, a 5-foot-8 target weaving in and out of opposing defenses.
This summer, Robinson worked on the side during training camp. Recently, he could be seen running routes at full speed.
Robinson had reconstructive knee surgery on Dec. 14. He now has two weeks to participate in practice to determine if he can play in the opener.