Giants’ Braxton Berrios to have surgery, ruled out for rest of season

The New York Giants will be without Braxton Berrios for the remainder of the season. The receiver and primary return specialist is set to undergo surgery on the foot/ankle injury he sustained in Week 4, officially ending his 2026 campaign after he had already been moved to injured reserve.

Berrios acknowledged the emotional toll of another major setback on Instagram, noting that two of his last three seasons have now ended in similar fashion. His recent years have been defined by injuries: his 2024 season with the Miami Dolphins was cut short in October by a torn ACL, and he managed only four games with the Houston Texans last year before appearing in four more contests with the Giants this season.

Low-cost receiver overhaul thinned by injuries and cuts

New York brought in Berrios as part of a June 1 veteran receiver influx, signing him alongside Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster on team-friendly deals. Of that trio, only Berrios remained with the organization into October. Smith-Schuster was released in August, and Beckham was waived after failing to make an impact over the Giants’ first three games, a move that opened a spot for Berrios to be signed off the practice squad after exhausting his three standard elevations.

Offensively, Berrios did not register a catch this year, mirroring Beckham’s lack of production before his release. The Giants’ passing game has instead flowed through tight end Isaiah Likely and receivers Malik Nabers and Malachi Fields, who have become the primary options in the aerial attack. Berrios’ value came on special teams, where he handled kickoff and punt returns, though his return averages remained modest over a limited sample.

Giants leaning on Charlie Jones for return duties

Head coach John Harbaugh indicated the Giants will first consider in-house options to replace Berrios on special teams, saying their "first look would be internally." The most likely candidate is Charlie Jones, who was elevated from the practice squad ahead of Week 4. In his Giants debut, a 36-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the former Bengals wideout returned three kickoffs and two punts, giving the team an immediate spark in the return game.

Jones is one of only four receivers currently on the 53-man roster, joining Nabers, Fields and Darnell Mooney. To bolster depth, New York could promote Jalin Hyatt, Dalen Cambre or Dontae Fleming from the practice squad before Sunday’s divisional matchup with the Washington Commanders. For now, Berrios’ injury forces the NFC East leaders to reconfigure their special teams just as the season begins to intensify.