The Giants defense took a huge blow in New York's Week 1 loss to Washington, as linebacker Micah McFadden suffered a foot injury that will keep him out for a large chunk of the season. 

After reports from earlier this week noted that McFadden is expected to miss "a significant part of the season," the Giants officially placed the linebacker on Injured Reserve on Thursday. 

Per IR rules, McFadden will miss at least four games, though it sounds like McFadden, who will undergo surgery, will miss much more time than that, if not the whole season.

McFadden suffered the injury while tackling Commanders running back Austin Ekeler midway through the first quarter of Sunday's season-opener. McFadden's right leg was immediately placed in an air cast, and he was carted off the field. 

While initial X-rays were negative, the Giants will now be without McFadden, who led the team with 107 tackles last season, for the foreseeable future.

A fifth-round draft pick of the Giants in 2022, McFadden has developed into one of the Giants' key defensive pieces, racking up 270 tackles, 6.0 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, and 26 tackles for loss in 48 regular season games.