Jeff Hostetler says he played through torn ACL en route to Giants' Super Bowl XXV win

Jeff Hostetler, the backup-turned-starting quarterback who guided the New York Giants to their victory in Super Bowl XXV, said in a new team history that he played through a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the Giants’ NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Hostetler, who was the Giants’ primary backup from 1984 through 1992 and took over after Phil Simms suffered a broken right foot in December 1990, disclosed the injury in the book “The Franchise: New York Giants — A Curated History of Big Blue.” He said the tear occurred early in the fourth quarter of the NFC title game when former Giants defensive lineman Jim Burt hit his planted left knee.

According to Hostetler’s account, the play came on second-and-8 from the Giants’ 39-yard line with New York leading 13-9. Hostetler completed a pass to running back Mark Ingram for a first down that put the Giants into San Francisco territory, but Burt slid into Hostetler’s left knee as it was planted for the throw. Hostetler described his leg as "crumbling," and he remained on the field in pain before finally walking off under his own power. Third-string quarterback Matt Cavanaugh briefly entered the game, but the drive stalled and Cavanaugh did not complete a pass. Hostetler later returned to the game.

The Giants went on to upset the Buffalo Bills 20-19 in Super Bowl XXV. Hostetler completed 20 of 32 passes and threw one touchdown in the game. His postseason performance after stepping in for Simms remains a defining chapter in franchise lore.

Hostetler’s revelation adds a new detail to a well-documented run. He left the starting role under difficult circumstances and led a playoff charge that culminated in the Giants’ first Super Bowl title since the 1986 season. The NFC Championship clash with the 49ers was a physically intense matchup; Hostetler’s description of the hit identifies the play as a turning point in the game and raises questions about the extent of the injury at the time.

Jim Burt, who made the hit, had previously played for the Giants and was a notable figure in the NFC rivalry between New York and San Francisco. The book does not provide medical records or details about any immediate diagnosis in the locker room, and Team and league medical statements have not been released in response to Hostetler’s account.

Hostetler’s disclosure arrives as part of a broader effort in the book to chronicle key moments in Giants history through the perspectives of former players and personnel. The account underscores the physical demands of playoff football and the risks players accepted in that era. For fans and historians, the detail that Hostetler believes he tore an ACL during the NFC Championship game casts new light on the difficulty of his postseason efforts and the durability he displayed in completing the title run.

The Giants organization and Hostetler did not immediately provide additional comment beyond the book’s passage. The revelation is likely to prompt renewed interest in archival game footage and medical records from the 1990-91 postseason as observers reassess the circumstances of New York’s championship run.