Janoris Jenkins took a page out of the Mark McGwire playbook.
He wasn’t here to talk about the past.
The Giants cornerback met the media Thursday for the first time since he was suspended for disciplinary reasons and offered very little insight into what transpired that led to him being banned from the facility all of last week.
“It’s just something me and coach already talked about,” Jenkins said, showing no remorse. “That’s behind me. I’m here today. I’m not worried about what’s going on previous days. I’m just here to work.”
He was suspended for an ugly 51-17 loss last Sunday to the Rams and the entire week of practice leading up to it after returning from the bye week late and failing to notify the team he would miss practice. Jenkins, Big Blue’s No. 1 cornerback, wouldn’t say if he apologized to teammates upon returning, why he didn’t communicate with the team when he was going to be late, and if he regretted the mistake.
“I just didn’t show up,” Jenkins said of the suspension. “Whatever he gave me, he gave me. I took it and accepted it. I’m back at work and happy to be here.
“Hey, man, it happened already, moving forward from that. I ain’t going to say I got regrets or I don’t have regrets.”
Initially, McAdoo told reporters Jenkins was an excused absence, but the next day suspended him and revealed Jenkins hadn’t spoken to anyone with the Giants about missing the practice. Eli Apple and Paul Perkins also missed practice, but they communicated with the coaching staff and were only fined.
Jenkins was clearly missed by the Giants, who were torched for 473 yards, 311 through the air by the Rams. The 51 points they gave up were the most the Giants have allowed at home since 1964.
“It was hard, but I was not there, so nothing I could do,” Jenkins said.