The New York Giants’ season went from bad to worse on Sunday. Not only did they drop to 2-6 on the year in a 38-20 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, they also lost promising rookie running back Cam Skattebo in the second quarter to a serious-looking ankle injury.
While the exact nature of the ailment and his recovery schedule are not yet known, Skattebo already undergoing surgery on Sunday night suggests his 2025 season is over. For a Giants team that did not have a lot going for it so far this year, that is obviously a major blow.
But, the NFL moves fast; New York’s upcoming game against the visiting 49ers is just six days away. So, what can the team do moving forward? Let’s assess how Skattebo can be replaced.
Internal replacements
Excluding Skattebo, who is headed for season-ending injured reserve, the Giants have only two running backs on their active roster: Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary. The former took the bulk of the work after his young teammate went down on Sunday.
Tracy Jr. looks like a prime candidate to take over as New York’s RB1 moving forward, even though his season so far has been largely underwhelming. In six games, he carried the ball 45 times for 159 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 10 passes for 68 yards. His production in 2025 does not scream “feature back” but make no mistake, the 25-year-old has it in him to fill Skattebo’s shoes.
While not as electric a back, he still managed to lead the Giants in rushing in 2024 and finished his rookie career with 1,123 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns. He did miss time earlier in the season with a shoulder injury, which in turn allowed Skattebo more opportunities as lead back, but he is the most suitable stand-in the team has at its disposal right now.
For comparison, Singletary has been a relative afterthought this season. The seven-year vet has only carried the ball 28 times for 84 yards this season, including a pair of rushes for a combined 0 yards on Sunday.
Besides him and Tracy Jr, the club also has sophomore back Dante Miller on its practice squad. Miller has yet to register a regular season carry since entering the NFL in 2024, but he did run the ball 52 times in two preseasons as a Giant, totaling 188 yards.
Trade candidates
The timing of Skattebo’s injury allows the Giants to also explore a trade in hopes of bolstering their running back depth. The market itself will remain fluid before the Nov. 4 deadline, but there appear to be several suitable candidates available.
Among them is a player who would not have to move far: the Jets’ Breece Hall has been often mentioned as a player potentially playing for somebody else in the near future. Gang Green has not made any concrete efforts to sell him as far as we know, but that might change if the right offer comes along.
Other names to keep an eye on include Tennessee’s Tony Pollard or Miami’s Jaylen Wright — two players, like Hall, on teams whose seasons are not going anywhere and who might be willing to part ways with some of their talent as a result. Pollard would add additional experience and proven production to the Giants backfield, whereas the sophomore Wright has some intriguing traits currently not being utilized by the moribund Dolphins.
What will the Giants do?
While head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are both feeling the heat — the Giants are headed for a third straight losing season under their leadership — any drastic moves to upgrade at running back in light of Skattebo’s injury seem unlikely given the state of the franchise as a whole. Frankly, at 2-6, the organization is not in a position to sell valuable assets such as draft picks to replace any player, even one vital to the team’s longer-term outlook and general optimism about the future.
If a reasonable opportunity presents itself, some level of aggressiveness makes sense. However, Giants fans should probably get used to seeing Tyrone Tracy Jr. lead the way for the rest of 2025.
