The Detroit Lions suddenly look like a team that could use Tyrone Tracy Jr.
That possibility opened up after Isiah Pacheco underwent back surgery and Dan Campbell said the running back will "miss a significant amount of time." Pacheco is already on injured reserve, and Ian Rapoport reported that he faces a 12-week recovery with "a chance" of returning "early in December."
For Detroit, that leaves Jahmyr Gibbs at the top of the depth chart and a thin group behind him. Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki are the current backup options, but neither has much of a track record.
Vaki has 13 career touches across two campaigns and one game into Year 3 in Detroit, while Saylors has two. That’s a shaky setup for a team leaning on Gibbs as the centerpiece of its offense.
Gibbs has already shown just how central he is. In Detroit’s Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints, he handled a career- and league-high 29 carries and added five targets, finishing with 186 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. But that kind of workload is hard to ignore, and the Lions’ current depth behind him doesn’t inspire much confidence.
That’s where Tracy comes in.
The Giants have made their stance on the third-year back pretty clear, and his Week 1 fumble only made matters worse. New York signaled its frustration by signing former Dallas Cowboys back Phil Mafah to the practice squad less than 24 hours later, and the late-summer addition of Najee Harris only adds to the sense that Tracy is no longer a priority.
If a trade happens, it likely wouldn’t take much. Tracy is a devalued-position player with a skill set that should still carry some appeal, so a late-round pick would seem to be the price point. At minimum, he offers more than just depth.
A converted wide receiver, Tracy has shown real value as a receiver out of the backfield. In 2025, he ranked 20th among all running backs with 288 receiving yards and 22nd with 36 catches. He also averaged 9.1 yards after the catch per reception, tied for 17th among 52 players with at least 20 targets, including the playoffs.
And he’s not limited to checkdowns and space touches. When he’s right, Tracy can handle real volume on the ground and through the air. He became the third Giant to record at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first two seasons, joining Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley.
Detroit already saw that version of him last November. Against the Lions, Tracy posted 130 total yards, with 68 rushing and 62 receiving, on 24 opportunities. That kind of dual-threat production is exactly why he’d make sense if the Lions decide they need another trusted back behind Gibbs.
In Other News...
Cowboys Face New Controversy After Bloody Missed Call vs Giants
Sunday nights Giants-Cowboys matchup had its share of hard hits, but the most talked-about moment came when Cam Skattebo left with a bloodied nose after a facemask by Dallas defensive tackle Quinnen Williams went uncalled. Video of the play made the missed penalty look hard to explain in real time, and the league office is now reviewing the incident as part of the aftermath from a bruising divisional game.
Skattebo still managed to turn the night into a productive one for New York, coming back from injury to pile up 81 rushing yards and score a touchdown in the Giants 28-20 win. For a team that needed toughness and momentum in a rivalry setting, the performance mattered just as much as the controversy, though the officiating miss is likely to linger longer than the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Skattebo Took A Brutal Shot And Giants Fans Want Answers
Cam Skattebos afternoon against the Cowboys had the kind of edge that tends to stick with a team long after the final whistle. On a key third-down snap, the Giants running back came away with a bloodied nose after Dallas defensive tackle Quinnen Williams grabbed his facemask, and no penalty was called on the play even as New York was trying to keep a drive alive. Skattebo still did his part in the win, finishing with 81 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Giants 28-20 victory.
The missed call only sharpened the focus around a play that already felt pivotal in the moment, and the NFL is now reviewing Williams for possible discipline. For the Giants, the larger issue is familiar enough: taking the win while still wondering how a shot like that went unflagged on such an important down. Giants fans, naturally, are left waiting to see whether the leagues review brings any answer at all. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Win At MetLife Got Overshadowed By Ugly Stands Drama
The Giants had plenty to feel good about after a Sunday night win over Dallas at MetLife Stadium, but one ugly scene in the upper deck drew attention for all the wrong reasons. A physical altercation broke out among a group of female Giants fans, and video of the incident quickly circulated as a nearby police officer moved in to break it up.
No arrests or ejections tied to the confrontation have been reported, and the cause of the dispute is still unclear. For a team and fan base that wanted to savor the result, the off-field drama became an unfortunate subplot that lingered after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]