Calvin Austin’s emergence as a possible starting slot receiver for the New York Giants hit a sudden and painful stop Tuesday, when he suffered what was described as a “ serious knee injury ” during practice.
Austin went down “ without contact ” while running a pass route, and Ryan Dunleavy reported that “ Austin was working a 1-on-1 in-cut route against Deonte Banks when his knee buckled and he groaned in instant pain.” Reportedly, co-owner John Mara was among those trying to comfort him as he was attended to.
The injury comes after Austin had put himself in position to claim the role left open when the Giants lost Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency. Robinson topped 1,000 receiving yards last season, and Austin had become one of quarterback Jaxson Dart’s most trusted targets throughout training camp, looking like a roster lock with a meaningful offensive role ahead.
Before the setback, Austin had also flashed his value in Saturday’s preseason game against the Miami Dolphins. He showed off a little of everything, finishing with a 21-yard rush, two catches for 24 yards and two punt returns for 29 yards.
That kind of versatility had drawn praise from head coach John Harbaugh on Monday. The coach highlighted what the 5-foot-9, 162-pound Austin brings to the offense, saying, “It’s pretty clear all the things he does well.
And the nice thing about Calvin is that he can play all three spots. You can move him around in any one of those positions,” Harbaugh said.
“He’s a quote, unquote, smaller receiver, and yet he can go outside. He’s played outside a lot.
You don’t see that that often. So, he gives us a lot of versatility that way, and that - kind of everything you ask him to do, he does it well.
He’s very reliable. Runs the right routes, makes catches.
He’s been that way kind of his whole career.”
Austin spent his first three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Harbaugh saw him twice a year while coaching the Baltimore Ravens.
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