Calvin Austin III update could give Odell Beckham Jr. a chance to stay with Giants

Shortly after it was learned that New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III was carted off the practice field on Tuesday, it became apparent that Austin had gone down with a serious knee injury.

On Wednesday morning, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter (h/t Jordan Raanan) shared news regarding Austin's setback.

Giants get feared Calvin Austin III update for 2026 season

"Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III will miss the upcoming season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee while running a route at Tuesday's training camp practice," Schefter revealed. 

According to Raanan, Austin "was going to play a significant role in the team's offense as their slot receiver." Fellow free-agent signing Braxton Berrios could serve as the Giants' Week 1 slot receiver in Austin's place, and Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic previously predicted that Austin and Berrios would both make the Giants' initial 53-man roster. 

What Calvin Austin III news means for Odell Beckham Jr.

Meanwhile, Carroll was among those who thought before Tuesday's developments that veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. would not be on the Giants' roster for their Week 1 "Sunday Night Football" game against the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13. For what it's worth, Raanan predicted that Beckham would "barely" sneak on the Giants' squad. 

Beckham, who will turn 34 years old in November, hasn't played in a regular-season game since he tallied nine catches for 55 yards over nine contests with the Miami Dolphins during the 2024 campaign. That said, Raanan noted that Beckham "had one of his strongest days of the summer at Tuesday's practice with four catches in live drills." 

"NFL is a cold world, but life goes on," The Athletic's Dan Duggan wrote on Tuesday. "The same day that a Calvin Austin injury may have cleared a path to a roster spot for Odell, [Beckham] had his most productive day of camp, [starting] off with a vintage one-handed grab in indy drills. Odell caught two passes from Jaxson Dart and two more from Jameis Winston in team periods. Looked like he had an extra gear today."

One wonders whether Beckham will still need to show "an extra gear" in the Giants' preseason finale against the New York Jets to be on the Big Blue roster on the final day of August.