The New York Giants moved closer to finalizing their 53-man roster Sunday by waiving linebacker Darius Muasau, a 2024 sixth-round draft pick who started games for the team over the past two seasons.

NFL teams face a 6 p.m. Eastern deadline to trim their rosters from 90 players down to 53 ahead of the regular season. Muasau became one of the players let go as the Giants reshaped their linebacker group.

CBS Sports NFL reporter Matt Zenitz reported the decision on his X account.

“The Giants are waiving linebacker Darius Muasau,” Zenitz wrote. “Former 2024 sixth-round draft pick who was a starter for the Giants last season. Made seven starts as a rookie in 2024 … The 25-year-old Muasau posted 106 tackles the last two seasons with the Giants, including 51 in 12 games last year.”

USA Today’s Art Stapleton also confirmed the move, citing a source.

“Giants are waiving LB Darius Muasau, per source,” Stapleton wrote. “Would expect he has a good chance of landing in Arizona with STC Michael Ghobrial.”

Patricia Traina of New York Giants on SI said the outcome was expected.

“Not a surprise,” Traina wrote. “The numbers were stacked against Muasau, who lost even further ground when the Giants drafted Jack Kelly. Don’t be shocked if Muasau lands in Arizona where Micahel Ghobrial, his STC with the Giants and with whom he has college connections from their time together at Hawaii, puts in a word for him.”

Muasau, listed at about 6-foot and 230 to 234 pounds, came to the Giants after playing college football at Hawaii and then UCLA. The team selected him in the sixth round with the 183rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

In his rookie season of 2024, he appeared in 15 games and made seven starts. He finished with 55 combined tackles, one interception and one pass deflection. That interception came in his NFL debut against the Minnesota Vikings.

The following year, Muasau started 11 of the 12 games he played and recorded 51 tackles along with one sack and one pass deflection. An ankle injury forced him onto injured reserve in early November 2025. He returned in mid-December and contributed the rest of the way.

Across two seasons, Muasau played in 27 games with 18 starts and totaled 106 tackles, one sack, one interception and two pass deflections. His production showed he could handle starting duties at times, yet the Giants viewed their inside linebacker play as a clear weakness last season and chose to upgrade the position.

The team opened and closed the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting linebackers. In the first round they took Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, a 6-foot-4, 243-pound prospect described by many as a high-upside playmaker.

Later in the draft, New York selected BYU linebacker Jack Kelly in the sixth round at No. 193 overall. Kelly, 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, brings size and versatility.

ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported in April that the Giants see him as someone who can play off-ball linebacker and edge. Scouts Inc. described him as a “thickly built linebacker” who recorded 10 sacks in his final college season. The team also values his special teams potential, which could allow him to contribute right away.

Muasau’s contract situation may have factored into the decision as well. He was set to carry a higher salary-cap figure this year compared with his first two seasons on a four-year deal signed after the draft. With Tremaine Edmunds also added to the mix and the two rookies in the fold, the depth chart grew crowded quickly.

Special teams competition played a role too. Reports indicated Muasau was outplayed in that area this summer by other players on the roster bubble. The Giants under first-year head coach John Harbaugh have emphasized physicality and depth at the position.

Muasau leaves with a solid foundation of NFL experience for a mid-round pick. He started more games than many expected early in his career and showed the ability to make plays in the run game and occasionally in coverage. At 25 years old, he remains young enough to attract interest from other clubs seeking linebacker depth or special teams help.

One possible landing spot mentioned by multiple reporters is Arizona, given the connection to special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial, who previously worked with Muasau in New York and has ties dating back to their time at Hawaii.

Roster cuts always bring difficult choices. For Muasau, the combination of new talent, higher expectations at the position and limited remaining roster spots made his exit the logical outcome as the Giants prepared for the 2026 season.

The team will continue finalizing its 53-man roster and practice squad in the coming hours. Muasau, meanwhile, will look for the next opportunity to continue his professional career.