Harris expected to play in preseason vs. Jets

Harris was playing Cam Skattebo to a usage standstill before his fourth quarter giveaway in a game where the G-Men were clinging to a 27-24 lead. He never touched the ball afterwards, going over 11 minutes without a handle as Skattebo saw seven touches during that timespan. That’s what a fumble benching looks like. Coach John Harbaugh will likely forgive and forget going into Week 5 against the Commanders, but not to the degree a timeshare starts developing. This might have been Harris’ one shot in that regard. Even with injuries mounting and bye weeks beginning, Harris is a tough stash in 12-team leagues.

Devin Singletary was inactive this week and Tyrone Tracy only touched the ball once, leaving nearly all of the backup running back touches to Harris. He gashed the Titans for 5.2 yards per carry but wasn’t involved in the receiving game, limiting his fantasy value. Harris is the clear backup to Cam Skattebo, but he won’t see enough touches to be worth a FLEX spot when the Giants take on the Cardinals next week.

We can’t endorse relying on anyone in this backfield as a surefire bellcow in the event that Cam Skattebo gets hurt or is ineffective enough to lose playing time. It seems like it will be hard to rely on Tracy to have a major role this year with Harris in town.

Harris saw his first game action since he suffered a torn Achilles last year. The 28-year-old running back had 39 yards on 11 carries and his longest run was for nine yards. Harris added a 20-yard reception, giving him 59 scrimmage yards on 12 opportunities. Harris was brought in to be a “significant contributor” to the Giants, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. He looked the part in Friday’s preseason finale against the Jets.

It’s worth noting that Cam Skattebo continues to be the first running back up in practice, but it sounds like the Giants could have a vision for Harris, who signed with the team on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, per Raanan. Harris is returning from a torn Achilles that ended his 2025 season in Week 3, but there’s plenty of room for him to earn snaps behind Skattebo once he gets up to speed. A blown pass-blocking assignment by Tyrone Tracy in the team’s first preseason game against the Vikings raised immediate questions about whether or not the Giants will trust Tracy in pass-blocking situations this season, and Harris has proven to be a capable pass-blocker in the past. At this point, it’s hard to imagine Harris having any standalone fantasy value in a healthy Giants backfield, but he could be worth a handcuff to Skattebo in deeper leagues based on these latest reports.

Harris visited the Giants on Monday and the connection is obvious with Greg Roman on the coaching staff after he was the OC with the Chargers, where Harris played last year. The Giants maybe aren’t the ideal landing spot with Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary all healthy at the moment. Harris should work as the RB3 with occasional opportunities to cut into Skattebo’s workload.

This comes two weeks after The Athletic’s Dan Duggan said the team could look to add a veteran running back before the team’s season opener. Harris, 28, suffered a torn Achilles in Week 3 of last season and has been working toward a return. He met with the Raiders earlier this offseason and will now meet with the Giants, who have a relatively crowded backfield with Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and a proven vet in Devin Singletary. If Harris were to join the Giants, we would expect him to work behind both Skattebo and Tracy.

Duggan buried this thought in a lengthy social media post last Wednesday. He says Giants RBs Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy “are fine,” but notes that the front office was “open to upgrading to a premier back,” referring to Cardinals rookie RB Jeremiyah Love. Duggan “could see a vet signing,” like free agent RB Najee Harris (Achilles) once he is healthy, “or a trade.” A veteran like Harris would slide into the RB3 role, and might occasionally steal enough touches to hurt Skattebo’s weekly ceiling outcomes. A premier back would have a much larger impact, but a player like that would obviously be much harder to acquire at this point. That outcome seems far less likely at this point, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Giants added another name to the backfield.

Harris visited the Seahawks last week as well. The 28-year-old running back is generating interest as he progresses through his rehab program. He suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture in the Chargers’ Week 3 win over the Broncos last year. During his short 2025 season, he rushed 15 times for 61 yards and caught 3-of-3 targets for 25 yards.

Harris visited with the Seahawks on Wednesday and now has a visit with the Raiders on tap. The 28-year-old running back is still recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered last season, but has been seen running at full speed in recent videos. While Harris will need to be able to do more than run in a straight line when he returns to football activities, the veteran running back is clearly trending in the right direction ahead of training camp. Harris would operate as the clear RB2 in Vegas behind Ashton Jeanty if he were to join the Raiders, but could find a role in head coach Klint Kubiak’s offense, given Kubiak’s tendency to utilize multiple backs. Harris rushed 15 times for 61 scoreless yards before his injury last season, but strung together four-straight 1,000-yard campaigns with the Steelers to start his career.