Giants DE Umenyiora leaves game with injury

Aug 24, 2008 - 4:11 AM EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora left Saturday's preseason game with the New York Jets due to an undisclosed left knee injury.

Umenyiora was hurt with just under 11 minutes in the second quarter. He was unable to put any weight on the leg and eventually was carted off the field.

"It just seemed like he turned the corner and kind of took an awkward step," Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "The turf is hard and playing at the speed and trying to turn that edge, it's easy to tweak something. He was able to get up and walk off so hopefully he'll be OK."

X-rays on the knee proved negative and Umenyiora will undergo an MRI exam on Sunday, according to Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

"We won't know until tomorrow what exactly they will have to do if they have to do anything," Coughlin said. "We are just going to have to wait and see."

Coughlin did say he was told by team doctors that Umenyiora did not sustain any ligament damage.

The Giants' second-round pick in 2003, Umenyiora amassed 13 sacks for the defending Super Bowl champions in 2007 and earned a berth to the Pro Bowl.

"He definitely means a lot to this team and anytime a guy like that goes down it kind of hits you right in the throat," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "Hopefully it's nothing that serious and hopefully he can get back here."

If Umenyiora misses considerable time, one option for the team could be to move linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end.

"That's a question for upper management. I don't make the decisions around here, so I can't speak intelligently about that," Kiwanuka said.