The New York Giants let Saquon Barkley walk out the door in free agency — and less than a year later, he was hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with the Philadelphia Eagles, of all teams. It was a tough pill for the Giants to swallow, and it was memed, mocked, and commercialized by Barkley and a Unisom sleep aid.
It’s no doubt difficult for the Giants to win that type of break-up, but the running back room envisioned by Joe Schoen has taken form. The Giants spent two day-three picks in the last two NFL drafts, resulting in Tyrone Tracy Jr. (166th overall, 2024) and Cam Skattebo (105th, 2025). These are two promising and productive backs on cheap rookie contracts.
Schoen also signed Devin Singletary during the 2024 free agent cycle. He signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract with $9.5 million in guarantees and incentives to reunite with Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen. I’m a fan of Motor’s skill set, but that was a slight overpay, especially on day one of free agency.
Nevertheless, the Giants wanted Singletary in the building, and he’s been a reliable backup option who can start. The Giants have three reliable backs on the roster and an exciting practice squad back in Dante “Turbo” Miller, who only saw work in the preseason. The personnel are solid, but Skattebo’s injury throws an unknown into the situation.
2025 season in review
Tyrone Tracy Jr., Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary
Skattebo took the NFL by storm with his angry runs that were consistently highlighted by Kyle Brandt and the NFL Network team:
The Giants were elated that Skattebo fell to their pick in the fourth round, and the rookie missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury that was reaggravated. Despite that speed bump, his personality and tazmanian devil persona quickly came through. He earned just eight snaps against Washington in Week 1, but his snap share consistently rose, which was compounded by Tyrone Tracy’s shoulder injury in Week three.
Skattebo became the spark for a Giants’ team that desparate for light. He and rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart developed quite a friendship and rapport. Skattebo’s three touchdowns against the Eagles in a game where New York physically dominated Philadelphia (34-17) spawned magnificent energy into the life of a 2-4 Giants’ team.
Two games later, after scoring an impressive receiving touchdown on an isolation rail route, Skattebo’s season came to an end with a devastating ankle injury. His right ankle dislocated, which ruptured his deltoid ligament and fractured his fibula. It was an open wound that required immediate surgery. It was a devastating injury, and Skattebo’s timeline is still tentative, although he’s targeting a return for OTAs.
Cam Skattebo finished the year with 101 carries for 410 yards (4.1YPC) with five touchdowns and one fumble. He forced 22 missed tackles with 3.04 yards after contact average. He had 10 10+ yard runs and caught 24 of 30 targets for 207 yards with one drop. There are so many reasons why Skattebo has quickly become a fan favorite. His rare combination of contact balance, vision, and quickness led to several highlights:
The loss of Skattebo was tough for Giants’ nation, but Tyrone Tracy Jr. handled the call well. Tracy had a promising rookie season, where he rushed for 839 yards with 284 receiving yards. He chastised some play-calling early in the year and found himself in the doghouse. The ascension of Skattebo and Tracy’s injury placed the second-year former receiver in a clear running back No. 2 role until Skattebo’s injury.
Tracy finished the season with 740 yards rushing (4.2 YPC) with 24 missed tackles forced and a 2.66 yards after contact number. He rushed and caught a pair of touchdowns and fumbled the football once. He also secured 36 of 43 passes for 271 yards with two drops. He looked more natural as a receiver in year two and was more comfortable overall.
Tracy Jr. joined Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. as the third player in team history to have more than 1,000 total yards in his first two NFL seasons.
I appreciate the patience Tracy uses to allow blocks to develop; his timing comprehension, paired with his acceleration, maximizes blocks. Tracy finished the year strong and ended the season with 103 rushing yards against the Cowboys — the first Giants’ RB to rush for over 100+ yards since Week 10 of the 2024 season when Tracy accomplished that feat against the Panthers in Germany.
Singletary finished with 119 carries for 437 yards (3.7 YPC) with five rushing touchdowns, 17 missed tackles forced, and a 2.42 yards after contact number. Singletary caught 18 of 19 passes for 151 yards with just one drop. Singletary had a goal-line role throughout the year and was the change-up guy who was healthy for the entire season. He’s a shifty veteran who is tough to angle up, but he’s the clear-cut three when the backfield is healthy, although his role in PONY packages and around the goal-line tended to come at the expense of Tracy.
Grade: B+
2026 outlook
Will the Giants spend a Day 3 pick on a running back for the third straight year? It’s certainly possible. New York is widely expected to release Singletary, a move that would free up $5.25 million in cap space while leaving behind a $1.25 million dead cap hit. That would leave the Giants’ backfield thin, consisting of Tracy, an ailing Skattebo, Eric Gray, and Dante Miller on the practice squad.
Gray is entering a contract year. While he has contributed on special teams in the past, it’s unclear how the Giants — now under John Harbaugh — will evaluate Gray or Miller. The situation is further complicated by uncertainty surrounding whether Ladell Betts will be retained as running backs coach. What is clear, however, is that Tracy and Skattebo are locks to make the roster.
As a result, New York could look to add size to the running back room. Not Derrick Henry–level size, but a bigger back who can complement Skattebo’s physical, downhill style and Tracy’s shiftier, more dynamic skill set. It doesn’t have to be a big back, though. The Giants could opt to add any type of back, who they believe can compete with Skattebo and Tracy.
Free agency could be an option, but it would have to be a low-level deal, much cheaper than the one the Giants offered Singletary. Keaton Mitchell, who spent his rookie contract in Baltimore under Harbaugh, is set to become a free agent. Mitchell tore his ACL and missed most of the backend of the 2023 season and most of the 2024 season.
Mitchell played in 2025, catching nine of 12 passes for 63 yards while rushing for 341 yards on 59 carries (5.8 YPC) with one touchdown and a fumble. He is a 24-year-old explosive threat with rare speed and acceleration. Mitchell, or another cheap veteran option, could be a target for the Giants in free agency.
Skattebo’s recovery could dictate the level of desperation with which the Giants approach adding personnel to the running back room. If Singletary is released as expected, New York will be forced to add reinforcements, whether through the draft or free agency.
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