The Giants announced Monday afternoon that defensive leader and co-captain Blake Martinez suffered a torn left ACL during Sunday’s loss to the Falcons, and will miss the remainder of the season.
The linebacker was hurt on a non-contact play on Sunday, missing a tackle after an eight-yard reception by Atlanta’s Cordarrelle Patterson on just the fourth play of the game. Martinez fell to the ground before he was eventually helped off the field by training staff, and ruled out for the rest of the game soon after.
For the Giants, this marks the second critical ACL injury in as many years, with Saquon Barkley going down for the year with an ACL tear in Week 2 of last season. It is also the second big blow to the team’s leadership core in as many weeks, as another team captain in offensive lineman Nick Gates suffered a fractured leg against Washington in Week 2.
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Martinez represents a big loss for the defense, as he led the team with 151 tackles last year, his debut season with the Giants. That mark was good for third in the NFL.
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