The New York Giants found themselves in dire straits at the linebacker position when Alec Ogletree suffered a hamstring injury, Tae Davis a concussion, and fifth-round rookie wunderkind Ryan Connelly tore his ACL in the first few games of the 2019 NFL season.
These unfortunate injuries left the Giants interior linebackers with the undrafted rookie from UTSA Josiah Tauaefa, long-time special teamer Nate Stupar, and a familiar face to general manager Dave Gettleman — 26-year-old David Mayo. Gettleman drafted Mayo in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft out of Texas State, where he ranked second in the entire FBS for total tackles in the 2014 season.