The New York Giants are bringing in veteran linebacker Neville Hewitt ahead of Week 3 amid several injuries at the position.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter was the first to report the news on September 16, but NorthJersey.com beat reporter and Giants insider Art Stapleton was quick to confirm the Hewitt addition as well.
Giants are signing veteran linebacker @Neville_Hewitt to their practice squad, agent Drew Rosenhaus confirms,” Stapleton reported.
He also reminded followers that the Giants “sustained 4 injuries at the position over [the] first two games (Micah McFadden on IR, Darius Muasau concussion, Chris Board chest, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles calf).”
Hewitt is a 10-year veteran of the league who has bounced around from Miami to the crosstown rival New York Jets, and he most recently suited up for the Houston Texans over the past four seasons.
With the Jets, he was a tackling machine in 2020, recording 134 total tackles (91 solo) over 16 starts. Hewitt also started 12 games with the Jets the year prior, logging 75 total tackles.
Outside of those two campaigns, Hewitt has mostly served as a reserve linebacker and core special teamer — which is what he would likely be with the Giants if called upon.
In his career, Hewitt has accumulated 499 total tackles in the regular season with another 10 in the playoffs. He also has 7.5 career sacks, with 4 forced fumbles, 4 interceptions, 22 tackles for a loss and 16 pass breakups.
Giants Are Lacking a Steady Second Linebacker Behind Bobby Okereke
With all the injuries at the position, the Giants have not had a consistent inside linebacker pairing this season. The initial plan was for McFadden to play alongside Bobby Okereke, but McFadden was quickly lost to injury.
Against the Dallas Cowboys, Muasau and Board split the duties after the recent draft pick was injured. And although both held up decently well, according to Pro Football Focus, that lack of cohesiveness has hurt the Giants overall.
The Big Blue defense was torched for 40 points in Week 2, and that means nothing is going as planned.
The defense was supposed to be the strength of this team heading into the 2025 season, and it wasn’t against the Cowboys. That’s not solely because of the inside linebacker availability, or lack thereof, but it certainly has not helped this unit perform as expected.
Big Blue Needs More From MLB Bobby Okereke
Okereke is the most important member of the Giants‘ linebacker core. There are packages where he’s the only inside linebacker on the field, and he’s paid to be an impact player and leader for this NYG defense.
In Week 2, Okereke was charged with a missed tackle, per PFF. This was already his second missed tackle of the season.
The veteran’s run defense has also been spotty, with a 5.0-yard average depth of tackle, and he’s allowed five of his six targets to be caught in pass coverage for a total of 64 yards and a 111.1 passer rating.
PFF has credited Okereke with 5 key defensive stops, and he has made some impactful plays, but they need more consistency from the $40 million linebacker and the defense as a whole.
That includes defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who has been under intense scrutiny from the fanbase after the first two weeks of football.
Giants Sign Ex-Jets’ Tackling Machine & 10-Year Vet Amid Injuries