Tremaine Edmunds Injury: Who Wears the Giants Green Dot Now

Oct 24

4 min read

Updated: 12 minutes ago

Published Oct 24, 2026, 8:10 AM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi

Key points

Tremaine Edmunds will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported Friday.
Edmunds wore the green dot. Dennard Wilson named Arvell Reese, Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly and Zaire Barnes as players who can call the defense.
Reese has played 99.2% of the Giants' defensive snaps. McFadden is expected to take Edmunds' starting spot.

Tremaine Edmunds will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported Friday. He wore the green dot, the helmet radio that carries Dennard Wilson's calls. The Giants now need a new defensive play-caller for the rest of 2026.

Before the news broke, Big Blue Film Room shared Wilson's list on X: "Dennard Wilson mentioned the following players who could wear the green dot." The four names were Arvell Reese, Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly and Zaire Barnes.

Edmunds was hurt on the final Saints offensive play of the 34-27 loss, as The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported. We recapped that comeback attempt in Giants vs Saints Final Score: Comeback Falls Short in 34-27 Loss.

What Dennard Wilson Said About the Green Dot

Wilson didn't pick a replacement Thursday. "We'll figure it out right now. We have options," he said, per Giants Wire. "Micah (McFadden), he can call a defense. Arvell can call a defense. They have. Jack Kelly can call a defense."

He added that Barnes has done it too. "We've done this in preseason. We've done it throughout training camp," Wilson said. "All the guys have had the opportunity to call a defense, and we'll see how it shakes out come Sunday."

Edmunds did not practice all week and was ruled out for Sunday on the Giants' Week 7 injury report.

By the Numbers: Tremaine Edmunds and the Green Dot Options

Player	2026 defensive snaps	Tackles
Tremaine Edmunds	380 (100%)	50
Arvell Reese	377 (99.2%)	49
Micah McFadden	2	4
Jack Kelly	0	2
Zaire Barnes	3	10

Sources: Pro Football Reference 2026 game logs through Week 6, and Giants.com.

Why Arvell Reese Fits the Role

Reese is the only player on the list who has played nearly every defensive snap. The No. 5 overall pick has 49 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and an interception, according to Pro Football Reference.

We noted on X that "Arvell Reese is currently PFF's 9th highest-graded rookie." McFadden, Kelly and Barnes have mostly played special teams, combining for 352 snaps there.

The caveat is the workload. Calling the defense adds pre-snap duties for a rookie who already plays every down. Wilson also demands effort from everyone, as we detailed in Dennard Wilson Calls Giants Who Don't Hustle 'Traitors to the Defense'.

What Comes Next for Tremaine Edmunds and the Giants

Edmunds is expected to go on injured reserve, which would open a roster spot, per NBC Sports. Micah McFadden is expected to take over his starting role, Pro Football Talk reported. The 3-2-1 Giants visit the 2-4 Texans at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

Edmunds played every defensive snap in all six games and finishes with 50 tackles and two sacks, per Pro Football Reference. The Giants lose their most-used defender and their play-caller at once. ESPN reported Friday that McFadden is expected to wear the green dot.

We looked at the new linebacker depth chart in Tremaine Edmunds Out for Season: Who Replaces Him for the Giants.

Our Take: The Green Dot Tests Arvell Reese's Football IQ

I said back on Oct. 1 that Arvell Reese will be an All-Pro at some point. The talent is obvious, but what stood out to me was the football IQ.

A week later, I wrote that the only thing holding him back from being the best at his position is experience. His instincts are off the charts, and he's only getting better.

Football IQ is exactly what the green dot tests. Wilson's list gives the Giants options, but Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly and Zaire Barnes have barely played on defense.

Experience is the one thing I've said Reese is still missing. Getting the call in and lining up the front is a lot for a rookie, and ESPN reports McFadden is expected to get the green dot first. If it lands on Reese later this season, we find out whether that IQ shows up before the snap.

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