National Football League

Giants lose LB Goff for season

Published Sep. 6, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The New York Giants announced Tuesday they suffered another devastating setback with the loss of starting middle linebacker Jonathan Goff.

Goff will miss the entire season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), an injury suffered during last Monday's practice.

Goff apparently was injured when he bumped knees with a teammate. An MRI on Tuesday confirmed the diagnosis.

The latest injury setback for the Giants comes only weeks after star-in-rising cornerback Terrell Thomas was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Marvin Austin, a rookie defensive tackle, also is out for the season after tearing a pectoral muscle.

First-round pick Prince Amukamara will miss the first month of the season with a broken foot and two other cornerbacks, Bruce Johnson and Brian Witherspoon, are out for the season with injuries.

Goff, 25, was entering his fourth season entrenched as the starting middle linebacker.

Greg Jones, a rookie from Michigan State, is the only middle linebacker currently on the Giants' roster. It is highly unlikely the Giants will consider going into a season with Jones as their starting middle linebacker. They recently cut Phillip Dillard, a natural middle linebacker who was drafted last year out of Nebraska.