Cam Skattebo got the first shot Saturday, and that was only the beginning of the Giants’ backfield puzzle.
He opened New York’s preseason game with a four-yard run straight up the middle, then stepped aside for Tyrone Tracy on the very next snap. Devin Singletary was next up on the following series. In a matter of one drive, the Giants showed exactly how crowded this room really is.
This is not just preseason rotation for the sake of rotation. New York is bringing a real three-back committee into Matt Nagy’s offense, and how those touches are split is one of the more important questions on the roster heading toward September.
Skattebo’s night was brief but encouraging. He finished with four carries for 19 yards over the first two drives, which was the best showing of the trio in his first game action since ankle surgery ended his rookie season in Week 8.
The Giants have been cautious with him since clearing him for the start of camp, and Saturday fit that approach. He got the start, handled the early work, and left the rest to the others.
On the team’s first unofficial depth chart, Skattebo and Tracy are listed as co-starters, with Singletary as the lone RB2. In practice, Skattebo has been getting the bulk of the carries in the running drills that fit Nagy’s power scheme, while Tracy and Singletary have been the preferred options when the situation leans toward the passing game. No one has claimed true every-down control, and that’s by design.
The production behind the decision is easy to see. Tracy led the group last season with 740 rushing yards on 176 carries, and he topped 1,000 scrimmage yards for the second straight year while forcing 25 missed tackles as a runner.
Skattebo’s short sample was impressive before the injury: 410 yards and five touchdowns in just eight games, plus 24 catches for 207 yards and an 80.5 PFF grade that ranked 13th among 55 qualified backs. Singletary brought steady work, turning 119 carries into 437 yards and five touchdowns.
Those numbers tell the story of why the Giants haven’t handed the job to one back and moved on. Skattebo offers the highest ceiling with his efficiency and contact balance, but he’s still coming off a serious lower-body injury and has only eight NFL games behind him.
Tracy has the strongest résumé, thanks to those back-to-back 1,000-yard scrimmage seasons. Singletary, meanwhile, gives them a dependable veteran on a one-year, $1.3 million deal per Spotrac.
There are still questions for Tracy, though. He’ll need to clean up his pass protection after a breakdown left Jaxson Dart exposed to a massive blindside hit in the Giants’ first preseason game.
Singletary also made his case in a different way. He had the best single play by any Giants running back in the game, turning a screen pass into a 40-yard gain down the sideline on his lone reception.
The depth chart could still change, too. With Dante Miller sidelined by injury, New York is looking for more bodies at running back, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants are bringing veteran Najee Harris in for a visit.
For now, the most likely Week 1 setup is straightforward enough: Skattebo as the early-down lead, Tracy handling passing downs and change-of-pace work, and Singletary ready as the veteran fallback if either younger back is unavailable. It’s a workable split for a run-heavy offense, and it also keeps Skattebo from being asked to absorb a 300-touch load before he’s ready for it.
If he stays healthy and plays to the level his rookie efficiency hinted at, the arrangement could sort itself out. If the ankle becomes an issue again, or if the workload management stretches into the regular season, the Giants already have two other backs waiting for more snaps.
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