Giants ILB Micah McFadden Quietly Having Career Year

Inside linebacker Micah McFadden has been one of the bright spots in an otherwise dismal year for the New York Giants.

Dec 25, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants linebacker Micah McFadden (41) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

New York Giants inside linebacker Micah McFadden isn’t exactly a household name, but if he keeps playing as he has, there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to be a part of the team’s defensive foundation for a long time.

McFadden, a fifth-round draft pick out of Indiana in 2022 (pick No. 146), is currently having the best season of his young NFL career. His 91 total tackles currently rank third on the team, two behind Bobby Okereke’s 93 and six behind safety Tyler Nubin, the team leader just placed on injured reserve.

McFadden’s eight tackles for loss are tied for second on the defense with defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II, and trail team leader Brian Burns’s 12. 

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs with the ball while being chased by New York Giants linebacker Micah McFadden (41) during a game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

McFadden has also posted four games with double-digit tackles, including three with 11 and his season-high 13 in Week 2 against Washington. And per ProFootball Focus, McFadden has significantly cut down on his missed tackles, of which he had a team-leading 25 last season (20.7% missed tackle rate), to just 12 this season (11.9%).

McFadden’s best so far this season was arguably last week’s effort against the Saints. In addition to his 11 tackles, he stuffed the Saints on six rushing attempts, the most in any game by a defender, per NextGen Stats. His 15 run stuffs are tied for fifth most in the NFL and have contributed to the Giants’ 69 run- stuffs, which are sixth most in the league.

Also per NextGen Stats,  McFadden’s 51 stops this season are just two shy of his career high of 53 set last year.

“There’s a lot that goes into it,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said of McFadden's performance. “It’s the play call, obviously. On top of that are all the things I’m telling him to tell other people throughout. And then making the calls once the formation comes out.

"It’s pretty much talking throughout until the ball is snapped and then you’re playing and then you're back in it and you're doing the same thing over and over again. You gotta be in shape to do it. The unit’s counting on you to be able to get out what we need to get out. I thought he did a really good job.”

McFadden currently has one more season on his rookie contract, that year counting for $1.188 million against the team’s cap.

With continued improvement in his performance, he certainly appears to be making a strong case for a second contract from the team that, per Over the Cap, is projected to have $57.26 million in cap space next year.

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