Despite a season-ending foot injury in Week 1, the Giants trust Micah McFadden's recovery, bringing him back to anchor their defense on a new one-year deal, according to multiple reports.
When former Indiana middle linebacker Micah McFadden entered the final season of a four-year deal with the New York Giants last September, it couldn't have gotten off to a worse start.
Just a few plays into their first game against the Washington Commanders, McFadden suffered a Lisfranc foot injury that required surgery. He wound up missing the entire season, and he entered free agency with a lot of question marks about his health.
But while other teams around the league didn't know much about his rehabilitation, the Giants — who've loved McFadden from the start after drafting him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft — saw him working hard on his recovery every day at their complex. They knew all about his progress.
That's why the Giants signed McFadden to a one-year, $3.5 million deal that could be worth as much as $5.5 million with incentives.
“Them seeing me recover and get back to where I was by the end of the season, I think that answered a lot of the questions that they had,” McFadden told the New York Post, “so that kind of narrowed down some of the options by the end of it. It’s a huge factor in all this.
“I’ve improved a lot even since the end of the year. Getting back to a place where I was able to go back home and kind of start my normal offseason program — working out and running and doing everything I need to do to play football this year.”
McFadden said he expects to be a full participant when spring workouts begin April 6.
He has played in 48 regular-season games with 36 starts. He has career numbers of 264 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits, six passes defensed, six sacks, five fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
He had his best year in 2024, finishing with a team-leading and career-high 107 tackles. He recorded six quarterback hits, a career-high three sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
In 2023, he finished third on the team in tackles and tied Tampa Bay's Antoine Winfield, Jr. for the NFL lead with four defensive fumble recoveries. His 12 tackles for loss tied outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux for the team lead.
As a rookie in 2022, he played in all 17 regular-season games with seven starts.
Prior to the NFL, he played in 45 games with 31 starts for Indiana and was an All-Big Ten selection. A two-time team captain, he was also honored twice with the program's Anthony Thompson Most Valuable Player Award.
McFadden was a lightly recruited linebacker out of Tampa, Fla., and Indiana was his only major-school offer. He turned into a two-time team MVP.
The Giants have been rebuilding, but they've got their future quarterback in Jaxson Dart, and a new coach in Super Bowl champion John Harbaugh. McFadden is excited for what lies ahead.
“It means a lot,” McFadden said. “I think it was a phenomenal hire. I got to speak with the coaches and John this morning. I’m really excited to be a part of it.
"I think they have a great thing going that they have been building around here. And I’m excited to be in this scheme. I’m excited to get in the room with him and learn from him. and learn with him and put this thing together as we get going in the offseason program.”