The Sports Xchange

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is expected to meet with the team and take a physical Monday.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that JPP is flying to New York to meet with Giants medical personnel in East Rutherford, N.J., to determine when he might be able to play.

Pierre-Paul lost his right index finger, broke his thumb and suffered severe burns on his hands after a fireworks accident on the Fourth of July near his home in south Florida.

The 26-year-old two-time Pro Bowler refused to meet with Giants doctors after the accident and has kept his distance from the team since then, which upset the Giants’ owners.

Pierre-Paul currently is not under contract with the Giants, who used a franchise tender on him during the offseason worth $14.8 million that he hasn’t signed. He has been seeking a long-term contract but the five-year veteran now is prohibited from signing a long-term deal until after the 2015 season concludes.

Before signing, Pierre-Paul wants to make sure the Giants won’t place him on the non-football injury list, according to ESPN.com. If the Giants put Pierre-Paul on the NFI List, they could elect not to pay him for games missed. The NFI list requires a player to miss at least six games.

Pierre-Paul started all 16 games for the Giants last year and made 77 tackles with 12.5 sacks.

The Giants open the regular season in Dallas against the Cowboys on Sunday night.