Limited in return to practice

Shepard (quadriceps) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

The limited showing marks Shepard's first recorded practice activity since suffering the quad injury in the Giants' Nov. 1 loss to the Chiefs. Because Shepard missed four weeks and three games due to the injury, the Giants will likely need to see him practice fully Friday in order for him to avoid taking a designation into Sunday's game against the Dolphins. At any rate, Shepard appears to be in a better spot in his recovery from a quad injury than fellow wideout Kadarius Toney, who was a non-participant in Thursday's session while mostly working off to the side with trainers, per Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York. Shepard, meanwhile, stretched with his healthy teammates and took part in some individual work during the open portion of Thursday's practice.