Giants Running Back Rotation Explained: Who Gets the Carries in 2026
Updated: 10 minutes ago
Published Oct 22, 2026, 11:03 AM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi
Key points
Cam Skattebo played at least 59% of the Giants' offensive snaps in each of the first five games, then 8% in Week 6.
Giants running backs have 138 carries for 472 yards through six games, about 3.4 yards per carry.
Najee Harris was released Oct. 20, leaving Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary.
The Giants running back rotation has changed more than any other position group in 2026. Six games in, four backs have taken a handoff, one has been released and the lead back went from a featured role to six snaps in a single week.
This guide explains how the backfield has actually been used, week by week, using snap counts and rushing totals from Pro Football Reference.
The numbers below run through Week 6 and will be updated as the season goes on.
The short version: Cam Skattebo has been the lead back in five of six games, and the Giants have tried several different No. 2 backs around him.
How the Giants Running Back Rotation Works by Week
Snap share is the simplest way to read a backfield. It counts the share of offensive plays a back was on the field for, whether or not he touched the ball.
Week | Skattebo snap share | Next-most RB |
1 vs DAL | 61% | Singletary 36% |
2 at LA | 59% | Singletary 26% |
3 vs TEN | 77% | Harris 22% |
4 vs ARI | 64% | Tracy 18%, Harris 18% |
5 at WAS | 63% | Tracy 19% |
6 vs NO | 8% | Singletary 40% |
Source: Pro Football Reference snap counts.
The pattern through five weeks was consistent. Skattebo handled most early-down and passing-down work, and the second back rotated in for a series or a specific package.
Week 6 broke that pattern. After Skattebo's costly late fumble in the 27-27 tie at Washington, the staff limited him to six snaps against New Orleans and spread the work among Najee Harris, Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr.
"I got punished for what I did," Skattebo said afterward, as we covered in Cam Skattebo Explains Zero Carries for Giants vs. Saints.
The Giants Running Backs by the Numbers
Volume tells a clearer story than any single game. Skattebo has more carries than the other three backs combined.
Back | Carries / yards / TD | Catches / yards |
Cam Skattebo | 81 / 294 / 1 | 10 / 79 |
Najee Harris (released) | 31 / 99 / 0 | 1 / 5 |
Tyrone Tracy Jr. | 13 / 40 / 1 | 4 / 52 |
Devin Singletary | 13 / 39 / 0 | 5 / 41 |
Source: Pro Football Reference.
As a group, Giants running backs have 138 carries for 472 yards, about 3.4 yards per carry. Each of Skattebo, Harris and Tracy has lost one fumble.
The best rushing days came early. The backs ran 30 times for 115 yards against Tennessee in Week 3 and 26 times for 111 yards against Dallas in Week 1.
The worst came in Week 6, when the four-back rotation produced 14 carries for 34 yards against the Saints.
The Fullback and the Quarterback Run Game
Two other pieces shape the backfield. Fullback Patrick Ricard played 54% of the snaps in Week 1 and between 14% and 47% in each game since, per Pro Football Reference.
A fullback on the field usually signals a downhill run look.
The quarterback matters too. Jaxson Dart ran 11 times for 54 yards before his season-ending knee injury in Week 2, and the offense was built around read options and RPOs with him.
Jameis Winston, a pocket passer, has 12 carries in five games. JJ McCarthy, who starts at Houston, adds mobility again, which we detailed in JJ McCarthy Could Help Giants 'Bring Back' Offense Built for Dart.
Why the Giants Keep Changing the Rotation
Harbaugh has been open about what he wants. "Our run game hasn't earned that yet. ... Make the most of those opportunities and you are sure to get more opportunities. Do something," he said after the Saints game.
We covered that move in Giants Release Najee Harris After 99 Rushing Yards in Five Games, and Harbaugh's comments in John Harbaugh on the Giants RB Rotation.
Ball security is the clearest rule. Skattebo's snaps fell from 56 to six the week after his fumble in Washington, and the Giants released Harris a day after he voiced frustration about his role.
Production is the second. Tracy scored twice against the Saints, a 17-yard catch and a five-yard run, and his snap share climbed to 38%, his highest of the season.
What to Watch in the Giants Backfield
Three things will show where the rotation is headed. The first is Skattebo's snap share at Houston: a return above 55% would mean the Week 6 benching was a one-game message.
The second is Tracy's role. If he keeps the 30%-plus share he earned against New Orleans, the Giants have a true two-back system for the first time this season.
The third is the trade market. The deadline is Nov. 10, and reports have linked the Giants to bigger names, including Colts back Jonathan Taylor, as we covered in Wink Martindale Wants Giants to Trade for Jonathan Taylor.
This guide will be updated after each game with the new snap shares and totals.
Our Take: Cam Skattebo Should Be the Giants' Lead Back
My view is simple: Cam Skattebo is the best back the Giants have, and he should be featured. The numbers in this guide back that up, with more carries than the other three backs combined.
The Week 6 benching made a point about ball security, and Skattebo owned it. I don't think the rotation should stay that way.
A 3.4 yards-per-carry group needs its most productive runner on the field, not a four-man committee.
Longer term, I think John Harbaugh wants a true bell cow back, and I expect he'll have one by next season, whether that comes through a trade, free agency or the draft.
That doesn't change what the Giants should do now. Until a move is made, the ball should go to Skattebo.
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