New York Giants lose lead tackler Blake Martinez to a season-ending ACL tear
According to numerous reports, New York Giants middle linebacker and top tackler Blake Martinez tore his ACL in Sunday’s 17-14 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons.
Martinez, the defensive signal-caller and a team captain, will miss the rest of the season.
It’s a devastating blow to a Giants defense that for the second week in a row,
allowed a game-winning drive in the closing seconds on Sunday.
With hamstring injuries, Giants wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton were forced to leave the game. According to a source, Shepard is expected to miss some time.
Martinez suffered a non-contact injury on the first drive as he raced to the sideline to attempt a tackle.
Before reaching Atlanta’s Cordarrelle Patterson, he tumbled awkwardly to the ground.
Martinez, 27, remained facedown until he was assisted to his feet,
and he hobbled off the field with the aid of the trainer.
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He immediately limped into the locker room, clearly in agony, and was soon declared out of the game.
After Martinez went down, veteran Reggie Ragland saw an uptick in snaps.
Tae Crowder, a second-year inside linebacker, took over as the starting quarterback.
The Giants (0-3) had hoped for more positive news on one of their best defensive players.
Last season, Martinez was a key component of a good defense.
Coach Joe Judge stated after the defeat, “Hopefully it’s not severe.”
“Blake is clearly an important member of our squad; he’s a leader, a diligent worker, and a tough guy.”
Martinez had 21 tackles into Sunday’s game, which led the Giants.
Last season, his first in New York, he led the club with 151 tackles.
He had at least 130 tackles for the fourth consecutive season.
However, due to the injury in Week 3, that run will come to an end.
Last year, Martinez agreed to a three-year, $30.75 million contract with the Giants.
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