Calvin Austin III's first NFL season with the New York Giants is over before it could begin.
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The Giants announced that Austin suffered a torn ACL during practice Tuesday and has been placed on injured reserve, ending his 2026 season.
The injury was especially difficult given the timing and how well the veteran wide receiver had been performing.
"It's definitely impactful to our team because he was playing so well," Giants coach John Harbaugh said. "He was doing a great job across the board, offense and special teams."
Harbaugh said Austin had "definitely carved out a role" before suffering the injury on a non-contact play.
Practice briefly stopped afterward as Austin's teammates and coaches gathered around him.
Austin, 27, had shown his versatility just days earlier during the Giants' preseason victory over the Miami Dolphins. He caught two passes for 24 yards, rushed for 21 yards and returned two punts for 29 yards.
The former Memphis standout joined New York after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A fourth-round pick in 2022, Austin appeared in 48 regular-season games for Pittsburgh, recording 84 catches for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns. He also established himself as a dangerous punt returner, including a 73-yard touchdown against the Giants in 2024.
Now comes a much different challenge.
"It's going to be a long road back, but he'll get back," Harbaugh said. "He'll get back, and we'll be behind him the whole way."
Unfortunately for Austin, that road begins just as everyone else's season is about to start.
