NFL player has finger amputated after fireworks injury

It turns out Jason Pierre-Paul's injuries might actually be worse than originally feared.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Pierre-Paul had his right index finger amputated on Wednesday.

The Giants defensive end has been in a South Florida hospital since Saturday night when he severely injured his hand in a fireworks accident.

Originally, it was believed that Pierre-Paul had only suffered burns on three fingers and parts of both hands. However, it appears that things might actually be worse. 

There was a report on Monday that suggested the injuries were bad enough that they could force the Giants defensive end to miss the beginning of the regular season. At this point though, it's a complete unknown as far as what Pierre-Paul's recovery timeline would be.

However, a medical source did tell Schefter that Pierre-Paul would be able to play \"sooner than people think.\"

Giants' team officials flew to Florida on Tuesday to visit with Pierre-Paul and check up on his health status, but the defensive end rebuffed their efforts and the team officials ended up leaving on Wednesday before they were able to meet with Pierre-Paul. 

Pierre-Paul was under no obligation to meet with the team because he's not under contract. 

The Giants hit Pierre-Paul with the franchise tag in March, but JPP had yet to sign the franchise tender, which would've paid him $14.8 million in 2015. 

The two sides had been working on a long-term deal and the Giants even had a $60 million offer on the table at one point, but that offer was rescinded after Saturday night's incident.

The Giants could also rescind Pierre-Paul's franchise tender, but if the team goes that route, that would make Pierre-Paul a free agent.

Besides his health, Pierre-Paul could also have to deal with some legal fallout. Fox Sports.com reported on Tuesday that several police departments in South Florida are looking into where exactly the incident occurred. 

If Pierre-Paul was setting off the fireworks in their jurisdiction, the Giants defensive end could potentially face a charge of criminal possession of fireworks. 

In the state of Florida, any firework \"that becomes airborne or explodes is illegal to use,\" according to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman, Mike Jachles.

It's also worth noting that whomever leaked Pierre-Paul's medical charts could also be facing legal trouble. 

Michael McCann, a legal analyst for Sports Illustrated, noted that if Pierre-Paul didn'tconsent to having the chart released, then someone could be looking at a $50,000 fine for illegally releasing the chart in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). 

According to ProFootballTalk, the leaked health records could also lead to a lawsuit by Pierre-Paul.