Darius Muasau Enters Year Three Looking to Secure His Roster Spot

Inside linebacker Muasau was originally a sixth-round pick of the New York Giants, who walked onto a team with two incumbent starters at the position, and he made an impact as a linebacker.

He started the first game of his rookie season, filling in for Micah McFadden. He finished with six tackles, five of which were solo stops. He also had one interception.

He also started the final five games of the season. He recorded 55 total tackles. Because of injuries, he was once again thrust into action last season and showed that he could be relied on to fill in and play his part.

There were struggles for sure, but overall, he's continued to make improvements.

Because of the arrival of Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese, Muasau now takes a further step back as the second backup inside linebacker.

He will still have to keep showing improvement and continue to excel on special teams so that his presence is felt on this 53-man roster.

If there is one thing the Giants shouldn't worry about having, it is too many good inside linebackers. Muasau should want to remind people that he is one of them.

Darius Muasau, ILB

Height: 6-1
Weight: 230 lbs.
Exp: 4 Years
School: UCLA
How Acquired: D6-'24

2025 Season in Review

Muasau came into the 2025 season with confidence after getting a good taste of action as a rookie in 2024. But he could not have expected the season to unfold the way that it did.

During the first game of the season, Micah McFadden (one of the starting linebackers for the Giants) went down with a leg injury and was out for the remainder of the season.

After starting seven games in 2024, Muasau started 11 games in 2025. Unfortunately, he struggled as many of the other people on the Giants' defense did.

He finished with 51 tackles, which was four fewer than he did in 2024, when he started four fewer games. The inconsistencies he showed as a rookie reared their ugly head again in year two.

The biggest issue was his athletic and physical limitations. Because he's a smaller linebacker in stature, it was harder for him to get off blocks when looking to fit against the run and defend inside. When it came to perimeter plays, his lack of sideline-to-sideline speed really showed up.

Those limitations probably proved that he's better as a situational rotation guy than as a long-term starter. It was likely one of the reasons the Giants were so aggressive in pursuing linebackers in the offseason.

Contract/Cap Info

According to Spotrac, Muasau signed a four-year, $4.22 million contract, including a $200,000 signing bonus and $200,000 in guaranteed money. He has an average yearly salary of $1.05 million.

In 2026, Muasau will earn a base salary of $1.275 million, while carrying a cap hit of $1.125 million. His dead cap value is a little over $100,000.

In year three, it is a significant increase in pay from his first two seasons, which is why it's important that he secure his position on the 53-man roster.

2026 Preview

For the first time in a very long time, the Giants seem to have depth at linebacker, and Muasau is part of that depth. After all, he is a hard-nosed, gritty linebacker with a relentless motor, perfect to serve as a backup or rotational piece, even if prolonged starting might not be in his best interest.

Training camp competitions shouldn't be too difficult. Most people know who the starters and the backups will be.

The interesting part will be seeing how they utilize Muasau on special teams. Will he have a more expanded role now that he's not going to be relied upon as much in the linebacker rotation? That remains to be seen.

He can't just automatically assume that his spot on the 53-man roster is secure, because the Giants have done a great job of adding depth, and those players will be just as hungry to try to make this roster.

If Muasau goes out and continues to perform the way he has over his first two seasons in the NFL, he should be back in position for another season.

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