The New York Giants waived cornerback Brian Witherspoon on Thursday, a day after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament for the second year in a row.
Witherspoon signed with the Giants in 2010, only playing 10 snaps on special teams in the regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins.
He suffered a torn ACL in a preseason game vs. the Chicago Bears on Aug. 22, 2011, and spent the remainder of the season on injured reserve.
The team signed six-year veteran defensive back Dante Hughes to replace Witherspoon on the roster.
Hughes has played for the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers, starting two of the 53 games in which he appeared.
Witherspoon appeared in 14 games between 2008 and 2010, recording 16 tackles in his first two seasons, each with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also played in one game for the Detroit Lions in 2009.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.