New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III will miss the entire 2026 NFL season after an MRI confirmed Wednesday that he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The 27-year-old receiver went down during a non-contact route in one-on-one drills during Tuesday’s practice session and had to be carted off the field, delivering a major blow to the team’s offensive plans as the regular season approaches.
Austin arrived in New York this past March after agreeing to a one-year, $1.5 million contract following three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout training camp and exhibition play, he had rapidly built a rapport with starting quarterback Jaxson Dart and emerged as a primary candidate to manage primary slot receiving duties for the offense.
Members of the organization expressed sadness over the injury while praising Austin’s immediate impact on the roster. “Definitely impactful to our team because he was playing so well,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He was doing a great job across the board, offense and special teams. He had definitely carved out a role for us on our team.” Assistant general manager Brandon Brown echoed that appreciation for the receiver’s work ethic, stating, “When you talk about doing things the right way, he’s done it ever since the first day he got here.”
With Austin unavailable for the year, the Giants are retooling their depth chart ahead of final roster cutdowns. Free-agent addition Darnell Mooney stepped up to take reps with the primary unit, while veteran receiver Braxton Berrios is slated for an expanded slot role.
Austin’s absence could also clear a path for 33-year-old Odell Beckham Jr. to solidify a spot on the 53-man roster after putting together his strongest week of camp. Austin leaves big shoes to fill after establishing a track record of durability and production in Pittsburgh, where he logged 89 receptions for 1,140 yards and nine touchdowns across 51 regular-season and playoff games. The Giants must now rely on internal options to absorb his anticipated workload on offense and special teams as they finalize their roster for Week 1.
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