Tremaine Edmunds Out for Season: Who Replaces Him for the Giants
Updated: 13 hours ago
Published Oct 24, 2026, 8:08 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.
Micah McFadden is expected to take over as the starter next to Arvell Reese, with Jack Kelly and Zaire Barnes behind them.
Edmunds played all 380 of the Giants' defensive snaps through six games and is expected to go on injured reserve.
Tremaine Edmunds will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported Friday. ESPN reported the injury is a torn chest muscle. The Giants had already ruled him out for Sunday's game at Houston.
Big Blue Film Room shared the news on X: "Edmunds was signed in the offseason to play alongside Arvell Reese at off-ball linebacker." The pairing lasted six games.
Edmunds was hurt on the final Saints offensive play of the 34-27 loss, Duggan reported. We recapped that game in Giants vs Saints Final Score: Comeback Falls Short in 34-27 Loss.
What We Know About the Tremaine Edmunds Injury
Edmunds did not practice Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. He was listed as out with a shoulder injury on the Giants' Week 7 injury report before the season-ending news broke.
He is expected to go on injured reserve, according to NBC Sports. The Giants signed him in free agency on March 12, and 2027 will be the second year of his three-year deal.
Edmunds never came off the field before the injury. He played 100% of the defensive snaps in all six games, with 50 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks, per Pro Football Reference.
The production came with an uneven grade. PFF has him at 52.0 for the season, which ranked 63rd of 75 linebackers in our Giants PFF grades through Week 6.
Micah McFadden Steps Back Into the Starting Lineup
Micah McFadden is expected to take over Edmunds' starting role, Pro Football Talk reported. John Harbaugh has called him a starter all along.
"I think I said early on we have three starters," Harbaugh said, per Sports Illustrated. "So, when and if that happens, Micah is ready. He's a starter, and he'll play really well. He'll be excited for his opportunity."
McFadden has been here before. The 2022 fifth-round pick from Indiana started 28 games across 2023 and 2024, topping 100 tackles both years.
This season has been a different job. McFadden has played two defensive snaps and 93 on special teams, with four tackles. His 2025 season lasted one game.
By the Numbers: Micah McFadden as a Giants Starter
Season | Games / starts | Tackles / sacks |
2022 | 17 / 7 | 59 / 2.0 |
2023 | 16 / 14 | 101 / 1.0 |
2024 | 14 / 14 | 107 / 3.0 |
2025 | 1 / 1 | 3 / 0.0 |
2026 | 5 / 0 | 4 / 0.0 |
Source: Pro Football Reference career defense table, through Week 6 of 2026.
The Giants Linebacker Depth Chart Without Edmunds
The current Giants depth chart lists Edmunds at middle linebacker with McFadden behind him. Reese starts at weakside linebacker, with Jack Kelly and Zaire Barnes as the backups.
Reese has played 99.2% of the defensive snaps as a rookie. The No. 5 overall pick has 49 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and an interception, per Pro Football Reference.
Kelly is likely to see more defensive snaps, Sports Illustrated's Patricia Traina reported. The rookie sixth-round pick from BYU has played 132 special teams snaps and none on defense.
We noted in September that Kelly "ended the preseason with a PFF grade of 81.4." Barnes, a fourth-year linebacker from Western Michigan, has three defensive snaps, 127 on special teams and 10 tackles.
Who Wears the Green Dot Now
Edmunds also wore the green dot, the helmet radio that carries Dennard Wilson's calls. Wilson named Reese, McFadden, Kelly and Barnes as players who can call the defense.
He did not name a replacement Thursday, but ESPN reported Friday that McFadden is expected to wear it and relay Wilson's calls. We looked at each option in Tremaine Edmunds Injury: Who Wears the Giants Green Dot Now.
Another Season-Ending Loss for the Giants
Edmunds joins quarterback Jaxson Dart and edge rusher Brian Burns among the Giants lost for the year, per Sports Illustrated. All three were expected to be core pieces in 2026.
His move to injured reserve would open a roster spot. SI reported it could go to cornerback Paulson Adebo, whose practice window is open. We covered his return in Paulson Adebo Returns to Giants Practice as His IR Window Opens.
The secondary needs him too. Greg Newsome II is out with a concussion, and SI reported Adebo is set to start against the Texans.
What Comes Next for the Giants Linebackers
The 3-2-1 Giants visit the 2-4 Texans at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. It will be the first game this season without Edmunds on the field.
Wilson also demands effort from every player who gets snaps, as we detailed in Dennard Wilson Calls Giants Who Don't Hustle 'Traitors to the Defense'. McFadden, Kelly and Barnes now get that chance on defense.
Our Take: Arvell Reese Has to Grow Up Fast
I have said Arvell Reese will be an All-Pro at some point. The talent is obvious, and so is the football IQ. Losing Edmunds puts that to the test sooner than anyone planned.
I also said the only thing holding Reese back is experience. Edmunds was the veteran next to him on every snap, and that safety net is now gone for the rest of the year.
McFadden is not a stranger to this. He started 28 games over 2023 and 2024, and Harbaugh keeps calling him a starter. The Giants are not handing the middle of the defense to a rookie.
The worry is the depth behind him. Kelly and Barnes have three defensive snaps combined. One more injury, and the Giants are relying on special teams players to hold up in coverage.
Even with McFadden reportedly wearing the green dot, this is Reese's defense now. How fast he takes control will shape what the second half of the Giants' season looks like.
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