Giants sign LB Austin Calitro, waive fellow LB Justin Hilliard

It was learned back in June that New York Giants linebacker Justin Hilliard had been suspended without pay for the first two games of the 2022 NFL season due to a violation of the league's policy regarding the use of performance-enhancing substances. 

The Giants did not wait until the campaign to move on. 

Per Michael Eisen of the team's website, the Giants signed fellow linebacker Austin Calitro on Thursday and, in a corresponding roster move, released Hilliard. 

Hilliard logged two appearances with the Giants last season but recorded zero tackles across just 15 total special teams snaps. His place on the roster for this fall was in doubt even before news of his suspension broke in June. 

Calitro, meanwhile, initially went undrafted in 2017 and has played for the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, and Cincinnati Bengals over the past four seasons. Most recently with Cincinnati, the 28-year-old appeared in five regular-season games during the 2021 campaign and tallied six total tackles. 

Throughout his pro career, Calitro has played in 47 regular-season contests and made nine starts. He has 94 tackles, 1.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and two pass breakups.