Report: Calvin Austin III Tore ACL, Out for Season
ESPN's Adam Schefter and the New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy independently confirmed the diagnosis Wednesday, a day after Austin was carted off Giants practice with no timeline announced.
Calvin Austin III tore the ACL in his right knee during Tuesday's practice and will miss the rest of the 2026 season, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter Wednesday morning.
The New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy independently confirmed the diagnosis about 17 minutes later, reporting that testing revealed the tear following Austin's non-contact injury on a one-on-one route against cornerback Deonte Banks.
GiantsGator reported Tuesday that Austin was carted off the practice field with what one source described to Schefter as a "serious" knee injury. No diagnosis or timeline had been announced at that time.
The Giants have not placed Austin on injured reserve or issued a statement on his diagnosis. Reporting Wednesday morning treated a corresponding roster move as expected but not yet official. No surgery date or recovery timeline has been reported.
"Anytime you see a player go down, your heart feels for those guys because you know how much they've invested into the game,"
Giants special teams coordinator Chris Horton said, according to the Post. Horton had been using Austin as a backup punt returner.
Austin signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Giants in March after four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, entering a contract year in which he was penciled in as the Giants' slot receiver. He will instead reach free agency next offseason without having played a regular-season snap for New York.
The diagnosis doesn't change the Giants' cap math. Austin carries $450,000 in dead money against a $1.5 million cap hit, according to GiantsGator's earlier analysis — figures that stay the same whether or not he's formally placed on injured reserve.
What the diagnosis does change is the depth chart. Dunleavy reported Wednesday that the Giants' six receivers heading into Sunday's roster cuts are now Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, Darius Slayton, Malachi Fields, Braxton Berrios and Odell Beckham Jr., with Dalen Cambre a practice-squad candidate if he clears waivers.
The Giants have not announced a surgery date, a recovery timeline or a corresponding roster move for Austin.