Braxton Berrios' season is over. The Giants receiver announced Tuesday that he needs foot surgery after getting hurt against Arizona. That ends the hope that this would be a short absence they could manage for a week or two.
NFL.com reported the season-ending surgery and his placement on injured reserve. The Giants now need a longer-term plan for the receiver depth and return work he provided, not a contingency for Sunday's trip to Washington.
I'm not going to pretend losing a depth receiver has the same effect as losing a top offensive starter. Berrios was available for more than one assignment, though, and losing experienced options is how a manageable depth chart starts requiring uncomfortable choices.
Charlie Jones is an obvious player to consider, and he's already on the active roster. New York signed both Jones and Berrios from the practice squad on September 29. The Giants don't need to promote Jones again before they can give him more work.
The team's depth chart includes Jones among the punt-return options. That gives the staff an internal candidate instead of forcing an immediate search outside the building. It doesn't establish how many receiving snaps Jones will get or settle every return assignment.
Jun 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Braxton Berrios (87) waits to run a drill during the minicamp activities at Quest Diagnostics Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jones could help with returns without inheriting every offensive snap Berrios would have played. John Harbaugh's staff can use different players for those assignments. A good return option isn't automatically the best choice for a particular route or personnel package.
I'd prioritize reliable decisions on punts before chasing a long return. A team that's started 3-1 doesn't need to hand an opponent an extra possession because it gets ambitious with a replacement. Catching the ball cleanly and knowing when to leave it alone are useful contributions even when the return yardage isn't impressive.
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New York visits Washington on October 11. This week's preparation has to account for Berrios being unavailable for that game and the rest of the season. The surgery announcement has removed the uncertainty about whether the Giants can simply wait for him to return.
The staff has a candidate in Jones. Now it needs to determine which jobs he can handle well enough to keep Berrios' absence from creating problems on both offense and special teams.
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