Antonio Pierce?s ankle injury appears to be worse than originally diagnosed and the Bermudian NFL star?s season could be over.

The $33 million middle linebacker was stretchered off during Sunday?s 26-23 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Eagles and, following an MRI scan on Monday, the Giant could be out for as long as six weeks ? which would make him questionable even for the Conference championships should his New York team get that far.

There is a fear he has a high right ankle sprain, but coach Tom Coughlin is still hopeful that Pierce?s determination could bring him back before the end of the regular season, of which there are three weeks left with the Giants possibly two wins away from clinching the Division, which they lead by a single game with three weeks left.

?This guy is a guy that has fought his way back from things before,? Coughlin told the New York Giants official website.

?I?m not expecting anything miraculous here, but I?d rather state exactly what the doctors tell me.?

Pierce has recorded 98 tackles for the Giants this season, continuing the good form that saw him snapped up by the New York team from the Washington Redskins in a $33m deal.

Today, the New York Times described him as "the team's leading tackler and main distributor of attitude" and said "Pierce is as valuable a player as the Giants have on defence, and it will take a three-man rotation to replace him".