Giants Could Give Tyrone Tracy Jr. a Bigger Role, ESPN's Graziano Says
Updated: 7 minutes ago
Published Oct 21, 2026, 2:09 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi
Key points
ESPN's Dan Graziano said the Giants could add a running back from outside or give Tyrone Tracy Jr. a bigger chance.
Tracy scored twice against the Saints, once on a 17-yard catch and once on a five-yard run.
Tracy has 1,619 rushing yards over three Giants seasons, per Giants.com.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. could be in line for a bigger role in the Giants' backfield, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano. The other path, he suggested, runs through the trade market before the Nov. 10 deadline.
In his Week 7 column, Graziano wrote that "it wouldn't be shocking to see them add someone from the outside or give Tyrone Tracy Jr. a bigger chance." His comments were shared by Big Blue Film Room on X.
Graziano added that the new coaching staff "has clearly soured on Cam Skattebo," and the Giants released Najee Harris on Tuesday. We covered that move in Giants Release Najee Harris After 99 Rushing Yards in Five Games.
Why Tyrone Tracy Jr. Is the Giants' Internal Option
Tracy did the most with his chances against New Orleans. He opened the scoring with a 17-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter, then added a five-yard touchdown run in the fourth, according to Giants.com.
Those were his first touchdowns of the season. Before Week 6, Tracy had seven carries in five games.
His longer résumé is steadier. As a rookie fifth-round pick in 2024, Tracy led the Giants with 192 carries. He followed with 740 rushing yards in 2025.
As our post noted, Tracy has "rushed for over 1,600 yards in his 3-year Giants career and proven to be a stable option." The table below shows how that total breaks down.
By the Numbers: Tyrone Tracy Jr.'s Three Giants Seasons
Season | Carries / Yards (avg.) | Rush TD |
2024 | 192 / 839 (4.4) | 5 |
2025 | 176 / 740 (4.2) | 2 |
2026 | 13 / 40 (3.1) | 1 |
Career | 381 / 1,619 (4.2) | 8 |
The Outside Option for the Giants' Run Game
Graziano did not report talks with any team. He did note that the Colts could sell after firing general manager Chris Ballard this week. Jonathan Taylor's recent extension, he wrote, would not make a trade impossible.
Taylor is making $23 million this year, including a $15 million signing bonus. By Graziano's math, a team trading for him now would owe about $5.3 million for the rest of 2026.
Former Giants coordinator Wink Martindale has already pitched that move, as we covered in Giants Should Get Jonathan Taylor 'in a Heartbeat,' Martindale Says.
The caveat cuts both ways. Tracy's 2026 average sits at 3.1 yards per carry, but 13 carries is a small sample behind a line that has struggled.
Giants running backs carried 14 times for 34 yards against the Saints, per ESPN. John Harbaugh put it bluntly on Monday: "Our run game hasn't earned that yet."
We detailed his comments in Harbaugh on Giants RB Rotation: 'Our Run Game Hasn't Earned That Yet'.
What Comes Next for Tyrone Tracy Jr. and the Giants
The quarterback change may help. ESPN reported that JJ McCarthy's mobility factored into the decision to start him. We covered that call in Giants to Start JJ McCarthy vs Texans After Fourth-Quarter Rally.
The 3-2-1 Giants visit Houston on Sunday before their Week 8 bye. That leaves one game for Tracy to make his case before the deadline window narrows.
Our Take: Tyrone Tracy Jr. Deserves the Bigger Chance
I've always thought Tyrone Tracy Jr. is a good running back. In September I also wrote that you can't make mistake after mistake with a new head coach and keep his trust.
Week 6 was the response I wanted. He scored twice against the Saints and played 38% of the offensive snaps, his most this season, per Pro Football Reference.
That came after he played one or two offensive snaps in each of the first three games, which tells me the trust is being rebuilt.
If Graziano is right and the Giants give him more work, he has earned it. I'd still pair him with Cam Skattebo rather than replace Skattebo, because the Giants need both.
Two touchdowns in one game is a good start. Consistency is what keeps a coach's trust.
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