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We’re just under a month away from July 4, which means that it is prime time to get your Uncle Sam costume out of storage and that it is almost the one-year anniversary of the fireworks accident that left Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul with a mangled hand.

Pierre-Paul missed half of last season while recovering from his injuries and he won’t be risking another issue this year. Pierre-Paul said Monday that he’ll be traveling out of the country on July 4 this year and, as a result, won’t be taking part in any Independence Day celebrations.

“It’ll be a year,” Pierre-Paul said, via NJ.com. “I’ve overcome a lot of things in my life. And that will be something I overcame, and I put it behind me. … I’ll never be completely back to normal. But I’m doing everything that they’re asking me to do. I find ways around [challenges].”

Pierre-Paul signed a one-year deal to return to the Giants this offseason. He’s planning to wear a glove on his right hand rather than the club that kept him from grabbing opponents last year. He expects to be “making more tackles” because of that change and the Giants hope that will be part of the return of a defense that turns out to be more than a speed bump this season.