New York Giants second-year cornerback Tre Hawkins had a breakout performance on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints and was named the Giants Wire Player of the Game.
Filling in for the injured Deonte Banks and Andru Phillips, Hawkins recorded six tackles (four solo) and two passes defensed. Two of his tackles were in the open field and one combo tackle should have been credited for a loss but wasn’t in the official box score.
However, Hawkins’ third-quarter interception of Derek Carr was most notable, as it ended the longest all-time stretch for a team without a pick (11 games).
But Hawkins’ solid play came at an extreme cost.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports that Hawkins suffered a fractured lumbar spine and is almost certainly out for the remainder of the season.
CB Tre Hawkins suffered a fractured lumbar spine yesterday, per source. Tough blow for the second-year corner after he played the best game of his career, including the first interception by a Giants DB this season.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) December 9, 2024
The 24-year-old Hawkins appeared in just three games this season with one start, recording 10 tackles (eight solo), two passes defensed, and one interception.
Much of that production came on Sunday in what was, as Duggan notes, the best performance of Hawkins’ young career.
Hawkins is not expected to undergo surgery for the fracture, which takes up to eight weeks to heal, but the timeline will keep him sidelined over the next four games.
