NY Giants Make Change to Week 5 Injury Report Ahead of Game at New Orleans Saints

The Giants will be without a core special teams player in their Week 5 game against the New Orleans Saints.

New York Giants linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles has struggled to stay healthy this season. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Giants have downgraded linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to OUT for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Flannigan-Fowles is a core special teams player who has struggled to stay on the field. He missed most of the summer with a calf issue, which popped up again in Weeks 2 and 3. Most recently, he appeared on the injury report this week with a hamstring injury.

Flannigan-Fowles, who was signed to a one-year contract worth $1.33 million- but which only counts for $1.197 million since it is a veteran salary benefit deal–has appeared in just one game for the Giants this season, that being last week against the Chargers, where he recorded his one tackle on special teams to date this season. 

Before joining the Giants, Flannigan-Fowles was with the 49ers, who had signed him to a three-year, $1.7 million contract in 2019. 

He then signed extensions with San Francisco in each of the following seasons after that initial three-year deal expired. The 49ers, however, released him in March 2025. 

Flannigan-Fowles came to the Giants with a reputation for being a special teams ace. Since 2020, he has been tied for 19th in the NFL with 37 total tackles on special teams. 

He had one of his best years as a pro in 2022 when he was fifth in the league with 15 special teams tackles that season.

New York’s special teams unit has quietly been playing some of its best ball this season, ranking in the top 12 int he league in several statistical categories, including opponent’s starting field position (sixth), team starting field position (11th), opposing yards gained per punt return (fourth), and opponents yards gained per kickoff return (fifth).

The Giants are expected to add linebacker Neville Hewitt from their practice squad to fill in for Flannigan-Fowles. 

Hewitt has already been a standard practice squad elevation twice this season. If he is not signed to the 53-man roster, an elevation this week would be his third. This means that if the Giants want to have him available beyond this week, they would have to sign him to the 53-man roster.

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