Drew Eubanks Tears Pectoral Muscle; Knicks Expected to Waive Him

Drew Eubanks has suffered a torn pectoral muscle, with the New York Knicks expecting to waive him in the wake of the injury — a brutal combination of a serious physical setback and an immediate roster consequence. The injury date is confirmed at October 15, 2026, placing him at day one of what is typically a lengthy recovery.

The severity here is significant. A pectoral muscle tear at this level — described as a "torn" pectoralis major — is inferred as a Grade 3 (complete) rupture based on the language used and the team's decision to move on from the player entirely. Grade classification is inferred from reporting, not confirmed by imaging disclosure, but the combination of "torn" language and an extended absence expectation is strongly consistent with a full-thickness rupture. Surgical repair is the standard of care for complete pec major tears in active athletes, and the absence descriptor here — "extended" — aligns with a post-operative recovery timeline.

Pec major ruptures typically require surgical reattachment, with functional return-to-sport literature putting RTP at roughly 4–6 months for most athletes. The biological floor for a Grade 3 myotendinous/tendinous injury of this type is well-established: tissue remodeling and tensile strength restoration takes a minimum of 16–20 weeks, and sport-specific upper extremity loading — boxing out, screening, catching passes — cannot realistically resume before that floor. The full published range extends to 6 months in cases with complications or delayed surgery.

Eubanks is at day one of his recovery window. The Knicks' decision to waive rather than carry him on an injured reserve designation suggests the roster calculus made separation the cleaner administrative path — but it does not accelerate the biology. Whoever employs him next, if anyone does this season, inherits a player who is 4–6 months from realistic return. The key signal to watch: surgical confirmation and procedure timing, which will set the definitive clock.