Anyone unfamiliar with the New York Giants’ Tyrone Tracy Jr. saga entering Week 1 didn’t need long for the crash course.
Following an abysmal summer marred by ball security and blocking issues, Tracy fumbled on his second carry against the Cowboys. John Harbaugh and Matt Nagy have unsurprisingly phased the third-year running back out of the game plan and given his touches to Devin Singletary.
With Cam Skattebo healthy and Singletary having ascended the depth chart, the questions about Tracy’s Giants future have only surged in recent days. He’s the No. 3 running back at best, and even that could change if the Giants dress Najee Harris on Monday night.
But assuming that the Giants don’t scratch Tracy, he’s already positioned himself to have a new home by Thanksgiving.
Will New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy play against the Los Angeles Rams?
As of Sunday morning, Tracy had not appeared on the Giants’ most recent injury report, and he is believed to be healthy. So if he didn’t dress against the Rams, it’d likely be a coach’s decision.
But if you’re the Giants, why would you play Tracy if Harris is good to go? Skattebo and Jason Dart are the focal points of the rushing game, and Singletary had been uncharacteristically explosive dating back to the preseason opener.
When you watch Tracy, you see someone who looks bothered by the pressure. Losing your role as the 1B running back through your own actions sounds like it’d do significant damage to a player’s confidence and reliability.
Harbaugh would be justified in sitting Tracy on Monday night, and that might be the best move for all parties. The Giants cannot trust him with the ball in his hands or as a blocker. Potentially asking him to help contain Aaron Donald or Kobie Turner has the makings of a nationally televised nightmare.
The overall situation is unfortunate, and not solely because we’d floated Tracy as a breakout candidate before training camp. Hey, we’re not afraid to eat crow and admit when we were wrong.
Tracy had an opportunity to prove himself to a new coaching staff, and he’s failed miserably. There were rumblings earlier this year that then-Giants receiver Darius Slayton had the “yips,” a mental block of sorts that, in his case, helped lead to drops. Could you blame anyone for wondering if last Sunday's fumble is a sign that Tracy has a similar issue?
To be clear, we’re not arguing that Tracy is guaranteed to be a bottom-of-the-bench player until his career ends. But if you only need one hand to count how many snaps he sees Monday night, the Giants’ next step should be obvious.
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