The Sports Xchange

Jason Pierre-Paul is planning to return to the New York Giants next week and hopes to play in the near future, according to an ESPN.com report Thursday.

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 in south Florida.

The 26-year-old 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 has been in contact with Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, defensive line coach Robert Nunn and several teammates during a recovery that left him hospitalized.

Upon Pierre-Paul’s return, the team is expected to examine the hand and then determine when Paul might be ready to return to football. The two-time Pro Bowl selection is the team’s top pass rusher with 42 sacks in the past five years.

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.