Micah McFadden injury: Giants LB to undergo foot surgery, miss ‘significant part of the season,’ per reports

McFadden injured his foot in Week 1 on a tackle of Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

New York Giants linebacker Micah McFadden will undergo surgery on his foot but is likely to return at some point this season, according to ESPN. NFL Network first reported that the starting defender is set to miss a “significant part of the season” with his injury.

McFadden sustained the foot injury in the Giants’ Week 1 loss to the Washington Commanders. Trainers placed an air cast on his right leg and carted him off the field after he made a tackle on quarterback Jayden Daniels — one of his three stops of the day. Darius Muasau replaced McFadden in the lineup and projects to fill an expanded role while the latter recovers from surgery.

Giants coach Brian Daboll said Monday that McFadden initially thought he broke his leg. X-rays confirmed, however, that was not the case.

McFadden has been one of the top defenders on the Giants roster since his debut in 2022. He made seven starts as a rookie and 14 in each of his second and third years as a pro. The former fifth-round pick cracked the 100-tackle mark in each of the last two seasons and set career highs in tackles for loss (12) and sacks (3) in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

The timing of McFadden’s injury is unfortunate in that this is a contract year for the linebacker. The 25-year-old is in the final season of his rookie deal and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the campaign. He is set to earn $3.4 million this year.

The Giants’ first game without McFadden comes Sunday with a divisional rivalry matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.