If there’s a running back even remotely available via free agency, the draft, or a trade, Giants fans can expect general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh to at least poke around.
As the New York Giants enter the 2026 offseason, there appears to be a real push under Harbaugh to build a more physically dominant football team, especially on the ground. And despite already having a young duo in Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr., ESPN’s Jordan Raanan doesn’t see this as a depth move. He sees the G-Men going big buck hunting.
According to Raanan, Big Blue is “seriously looking” at adding a top back on the market, whether that comes through the draft or free agency. And with a clear emphasis on becoming more of a smash-mouth heavy football team, the G-Men are being tied to Travis Etienne (Jaguars) and Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) via free agency, along with Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) in the draft.
And that puts Skattebo in an interesting position heading into Year 2. So, what gives?
Giants’ pursuit of another RB raises real questions about Cam Skattebo
There is a world in which the Giants are playing a smoke-and-mirrors game, as is common this time of the NFL calendar, especially with the draft right around the corner. They could be pumping up the running back market in hopes another team jumps into the top five for Love, leaving someone like Ohio State’s Sonny Styles sitting there for them.
It could be Harby being overly cautious about Skatt’s season-ending dislocated ankle injury from last year. Or it could be the worst option of all, the one that would completely kill Giants fans’ vibes: he simply doesn’t believe the 24-year-old has what it takes to be their lead back. That would instantly put the new head coach at odds with the fanbase.
Even though he only appeared in eight games, every time Skatt touched the football, it was electric. Before he went down, he was really hitting his stride -- five straight games with 90-plus all-purpose yards and six total scores. He finished the season with 101 carries for 410 yards and five scores, with an additional 24 receptions for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
And that’s where the whole thing starts to feel a little strange. The Giants aren’t necessarily swimming in cap space, even after releasing linebacker Bobby Okereke, and Devin Singletary is still on the roster.
If the plan really is to swing big at running back, something would have to give first. Either Singletary becomes a $5.25 million cap casualty, or the G-Men are floating interest in the position for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with Skattebo at all.
Which brings this whole conversation back to the human-sized fire hydrant. When he was healthy last season, the guy looked like the exact kind of psycho-violent runner Harbaugh loves. That’s why all these running back rumors feel a little off from the outside.
Maybe the Giants are just doing the pre-draft song and dance smoke-screen routine. Or maybe the coaching staff wants a bigger safety net than fans are expecting. Either way, if New York really does go hunting for another headline back this offseason, Skatt suddenly goes from exciting young centerpiece to electric depth piece, which would be a terrible use of his skillset and aura.