New York Giants linebacker Jon Beason could be a doubt for the team's first game of the NFL season, with the veteran possibly requiring surgery on a fractured right foot.

Beason limped out of New York's off-season camp on Thursday and is now expected to miss around 12 weeks of action as he ponders whether to have an operation.

"I really felt that I that I had torn the extensor, which is the tendon with the muscle, it's how your big toe functions," said Beason, according to the NFL's official website. "That would have been season-ending. So at least now there's a procedure, possibly.

"We haven't decided if it's something that's invasive or something that you just kind of let heal on its own. The timeframe is about the same, but it's not season ending, so I'm happy about that."

The Giants had placed a lot of faith in Beason for the coming season, having re-signed the player on a three-year deal in March.