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 due to 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 is expected to fill an expanded role during the latter’s recovery from surgery.

Giants coach Brian Daboll stated Monday that McFadden initially feared he had broken his leg. However, X-rays confirmed that was not the case. The Giants placed McFadden on injured reserve last Thursday and claimed wide receiver Xavier Gipson in a corresponding move after he was previously waived by the New York Jets.

McFadden has been one of the top defenders on the Giants roster since his debut in 2022, starting seven games as a rookie and 14 in each of his second and third years as a professional. The former fifth-round pick has exceeded 100 tackles in the last two seasons, achieving career highs of 12 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Notably, this injury is particularly unfortunate for McFadden as it occurs during a contract year. The 25-year-old is in the final season of his rookie contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this campaign, which includes a salary of $3.4 million this year.

The Giants’ first game without McFadden will occur this Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.