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The New York Giants and tight end Theo Johnson had a lot of people scratching their heads on Friday night. While nobody batted an eye when the team ruled the 24-year-old out for Week 18 with an illness, many were then surprised to see Johnson at Madison Square Garden later that night watching a New York Knicks game.
Johnson’s presence was not discreet; he was featured on the Jumbotron for all fans to see. The move caused obvious questions and criticism, but it was later reported that Johnson’s illness is a non-contagious infection, according to NFL insider Mike Garafolo.
Theo Johnson’s illness is an infection, “not the flu or COVID, where being around other people is a risk,” the #Giants say. Johnson wrote on his Instagram story, “I am not sick,” though the operative word seemingly should have been “contagious.” https://t.co/Lm78WsQge3
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 3, 2026
Johnson stirred further controversy by saying, “I am not sick,” on social media in an attempt to satisfy those criticizing his nightly activities. Garafolo speculates that he meant to tell fans that he is not “contagious” despite feeling physically unprepared to play.
Regardless, many New York fans were jarred to see that the team’s tight end was not fit to play, but felt good enough to go out for a basketball game. The majority of fans found the series of events humorous and did not appear to be upset with Johnson.
Fans would love to see their tight end on the field for Jaxson Dart, but getting the victory in Week 18 is not what most Giants supporters want to see. New York would lock up the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with a loss, while it could fall as low as No. 7 with a win.
Johnson’s presence did not give the Knicks much luck, as they wound up suffering a 111-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. New York, which played without Karl-Anthony Towns, struggled to hit the mark as a group, connecting on just 37 percent of its field goal attempts.
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