Giants' Berrios says he'll undergo season-ending foot surgery

Why Berrios is trending

Braxton Berrios posted the news himself. On Instagram Tuesday, which also happened to be his 31st birthday, the Giants receiver said he needs surgery on an injured foot and is done for the season. He didn't sugarcoat it. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't miserable right now," he wrote.

What we know: the foot requires surgery, the season is over, and this is the third year in a row that injury has ended Berrios' season early. What we don't know, because the report doesn't say: a surgery date or a recovery timeline. What happens next is clearer. Charlie Jones takes over the return duties Berrios had been handling, and the Giants say they'll look at their own roster before going outside it.

How it happened

Berrios was hurt returning a punt late in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Before the injury, his role had already been limited. He had zero catches on 23 offensive snaps this season and was averaging 2.5 yards per punt return. Outside of the stat line, he was the Giants' primary kickoff and punt returner and their fourth receiver.

This is not new territory for Berrios. The Giants article notes it's the third consecutive season that has ended early for him because of injury, a pattern that's followed him since he arrived in New York.

Who fills the gap

Charlie Jones is the direct answer. He was signed to the Giants' active roster last week, the same week as Berrios, and stepped into return work right away. Against the Cardinals, after Berrios went down, Jones had two punt returns for 29 yards and averaged 23 yards per kickoff return.

Coach John Harbaugh said Monday the plan is to replace Berrios mostly from within. "I think our first look would be internally, yes," he said, pointing to players already practicing in the system, the way the Giants handled a similar situation with outside linebacker Trace Ford. He added the team will check around, but "sometimes the best stones are right under your feet." The practice squad currently has receivers Dalen Cambre and Jalin Hyatt, and the Giants are also signing former Vikings receiver Dontae Fleming to the practice squad, according to a source.

The roster math behind it

The move to add Berrios and Jones to the active roster came at a cost. The Giants released receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to clear the spot, and it looks unlikely he'll be back in New York.

Berrios is in his eighth professional season, having played for the Jets, Dolphins, Texans and now the Giants. For his career he has 140 catches for 1,360 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver, plus a kickoff return touchdown on his résumé. None of that changes what Tuesday's announcement means for this season: it's over for him, and the return game now belongs to Jones.

Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.