Micah McFadden was injured in Week 1 of the 2025 season and missed the rest of the year, his season lasting just 11 snaps.
His absence perhaps hurt a Giants’ defense that was pitiful against the run for most of the season more than anyone realized it might. The Giants used players like Darius Muasau, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Swayze Bozeman, Zaire Barnes, and Neville Hewitt at linebacker alongside Bobby Okereke. None should be full-time defensive players in the NFL.
The Lisfranc foot injury McFadden suffered required surgery, and probably hurt McFadden more than it did the Giants. The 2025 season was McFadden’s free agent season, the last on his rookie contract. It robbed him of the opportunity to capitalize on a good 2024 season by backing it up with another one, likely earning him a nice contract in free agency.
“Really poor timing,” McFadden said at the end of the season. “At the end of the day I found myself with a lot of gratitude just for the opportunity to play this sport … This injury definitely taught me a lot. Yeah, it’s poor timing. I would have loved to put my best foot forward and go into free agency and be optimistic about whatever I would get. I’m confident that I have a lot of good football left to play.”
Should the Giants, with a new head coach in John Harbaugh and a new defensive coordinator in Dennard Wilson, bring McFadden back in 2026? Let’s talk about it.
Reasons to bring McFadden back
For starters, how about that long list of players who tried to replace McFadden last season? Also, how about the possibility that Okereke might wind up as a cap cut?
McFadden would bring some stability, especially if Okereke is let go.
Having missed his opportunity to build a case for a big contract, McFadden might need to settle for an inexpensive “prove-it” deal. Spotract estimates his market value at one-year, $2.4 million.
Reasons to let McFadden go
To me, the biggest hole in McFadden’s game has always been an inability to finish plays he gets himself into position to make. Perhaps that is about athletic limitations, and it makes you wonder if Harbaugh and Wilson will want faster, more athletic players at linebacker.
McFadden has missed 15.6% of his career tackle attempts. That’s too many.
Verdict
Keep him.
Even if he winds up as depth, a $2.4 million price tag for a 26-year-old linebacker with a pair of 100+tackle seasons on his resume isn’t bad.