Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III out for season with ACL tear

Aug. 26 (UPI) -- New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III is expected to miss the entire 2026 season due to an ACL tear.

Sources told ESPN , The Athletic and NorthJersey.com about the injury on Wednesday. Austin hurt his right knee during practice a day earlier in East Rutherford, N.J. He was carted off the field at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

Austin was expected to be the Giants' top slot receiver. Darnell Mooney , 2026 third-round pick Malachi Fields , Odell Beckham Jr. and Dalen Cambre are among backup wide receivers, behind Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton , who are listed as starters on their unofficial depth chart.

Braxton Berrios , Isaiah Hodgins , Jalin Hyatt and Xavier Gipson are the other wide receivers on the Giants roster.

Berrios, cornerback Deonte Banks and running back Eric Gray are listed as the Giants' primary kick returns. Berrios also is listed as the Giants' primary punt returner, ahead of Austin and Gipson.

Nabers, who tore his right ACL and meniscus last season, shed his red non-contract jersey and participated in practice in a limited capacity Monday and Tuesday.

Coach John Harbaugh told WFAN on Wednesday that is "saying some prayers" that Nabers will be ready for Week 1.

"I've got my fingers crossed and saying some prayers too," Harbaugh said. "He looked good in practice, but practice is different than the game and all that. So he's gotta be comfortable and all the docs have to be comfortable.

"He's gotta look like he can do it and protect himself. But he's trending in the right direction and we'll see what happens."

Austin, who joined the Giants on a one-year deal in March, totaled 31 catches for 372 yards and three scores over 14 appearances last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers . The fourth-round pick by the Steelers in the 2022 NFL Draft totaled 1,100 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns over the first 48 appearances of his NFL career.

NFL teams must reduce rosters to 53 players from 90 by 6 p.m. EDT Sunday. Nearly 1,200 players will lose their jobs before that deadline.

The Giants will face the rival New York Jets in their preseason finale at 7:30 p.m. Friday in East Rutherford, N.J. They will host the Dallas Cowboys on the same field in their regular season opener Sept. 13 at MetLife Stadium.