The New York Giants added another proven veteran to an already crowded running back room on Tuesday by signing Najee Harris to a one-year contract.
Harris, a former first-round pick who posted four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons in Pittsburgh before an Achilles tear limited him to three games with the Chargers last year, immediately changes the calculus at the position.
The move came one day after the team waived injured Dante Miller and coincided with the release of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to create a roster spot. Cam Skattebo remains the projected lead back as he works his way back from last season’s ankle injury, with Tyrone Tracy Jr. expected to share early-down and receiving work.
That leaves Devin Singletary, who restructured his deal in March to stay in New York, suddenly looking like the most vulnerable veteran in the group.
Matthew Schmidt of Giants Roundtable has observed that adding a physical, downhill runner like Harris only heightens the competition in a backfield that already featured two young playmakers and a veteran change-of-pace option, raising legitimate questions about whether Singletary’s roster spot survives final cuts.
Singletary, now 28, signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract in 2024 and later agreed to drop his 2026 base salary to the veteran minimum of $1.3 million plus incentives. Cutting him now would save that salary while leaving only $1.25 million in dead money.
Harris, at 6-foot-1 and 242 pounds, brings the kind of size and between-the-tackles power that new head coach John Harbaugh and senior offensive assistant Greg Roman have long favored.
His familiarity with Roman from last year’s Chargers staff and his history as a workhorse back give him a clearer schematic fit than Singletary’s smaller, more elusive style.
Singletary still offers value as a reliable pass protector and third-down receiver who has been durable and efficient in limited roles the past two seasons. He posted identical 437-yard rushing totals in 2024 and 2025 while catching nearly every target thrown his way.
Those traits helped him survive the offseason when many expected him to be a cap casualty. Yet the Giants now have five or six backs competing for what is typically three or four roster spots, and Harris’ arrival as a proven 1,000-yard rusher rather than a fourth-string insurance policy makes it harder to justify keeping a 28-year-old who is no longer guaranteed significant snaps.
Harbaugh has described Harris as not yet in full football shape after the Achilles injury, so the veteran may need time to ramp up. That delay could give Singletary a window to impress in the remaining preseason games.
Even so, the signing signals the coaching staff wants more size and experience behind Skattebo and Tracy. If Harris shows he can handle the physical style Harbaugh wants, the Giants may decide the cheaper, younger options or Harris himself provide better long-term value than retaining Singletary for a reduced role.
Roster decisions will come quickly as camp winds down, and Singletary’s reduced contract now looks more like a short-term bridge than a guaranteed ticket to the 53-man roster.
