The New York Giants’ training camp took a sudden, quiet turn on Tuesday. Wide receiver Calvin Austin III crumpled to the ground during a one-on-one drill, clutching his right knee, as the team’s trainers called for a cart. Following the injury, he is set to miss the entire 2026 season.
“#Giants WR Calvin Austin III suffered a major knee injury during Tuesday’s practice that includes a torn ACL and will sideline him for the entire 2026 NFL season,” NFL insider for The 33rd Team New York, Ari Meirov, reported on X.
The injury to the 27-year-old wide receiver “didn’t look good,” ESPN sources said. While he waited for the cart, Giants owner John Mara consoled him. Not much was disclosed yesterday, but Meirov later shared the MRI results.
“The injury to #Giants WR Calvin Austin III includes multiple torn ligaments, with a long road to recovery ahead,” Meirov further reported. “It looked gruesome on the practice field, and all the follow-up testing confirmed the severity of the injury and more.”
This injury comes at a brutal time for Austin, who just started afresh with the Giants. Drafted by Pittsburgh in 2022, Austin spent three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing with New York this offseason. This offseason, New York signed him to a one-year prove-it deal worth $1.5 million, with multiple incentives attached to playing time, receptions, and yards.
Since coming into the league, Austin has played 48 games, starting just 16 with the Steelers in three seasons. He missed his entire rookie season due to an injury. In 2022, Austin suffered a Lisfranc sprain ahead of preseason and missed the entire year.
With that injury history and now this setback on a prove-it deal, it will be difficult for Austin to make a space for himself in the league again, even after he recovers. Teams might not be ready to trust him once more.
As for the Giants, this leaves a gap within the slot receiver role so close to the regular season.
“It would be a blow,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. “But I think the beautiful part of what [coach John Harbaugh] has done with us as a staff and as a team, his message this whole time has been positivity of understanding that the next guy’s got to step up and play. And everyone says that. But that’s what’s real. And so we feel like we have a great amount of competition and depth here.
“And the next guy’s got to do that. And so if it does go that route, that’s a part of football. It happens across the league. And it sucks. But that’s what’s real.”
In Austin’s place, veteran wide receiver Braxton Berrios took over with the first-team offense. Berrios has impressed during training camp and now emerges as the primary option in the slot.