Najee Harris is reportedly OUT, with the Giants releasing the 28-year-old running back just two days after their tough 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints. This move blows up the Giants’ backfield situation, which has been a mess of frustration and underperformance all season.
Harris’s Frustration Boiled Over, And The Numbers Back It Up
It wasn’t a huge surprise to see Harris frustrated. In that Saints game, even though he got the starting nod over a “punished” Cam Skattebo, Harris only received four carries. That’s just wild for a guy who was once a Pro Bowler. After the game, Harris was straight up lost for words with reporters, saying, “It’s hard to get into a rhythm with one or two plays. … If you’re getting a play here and then get taken out for a series, there’s nothing you could do. I’ve never been through none of this before.”
You can feel his frustration. In five games with the Giants this season, Harris logged just 31 carries for a measly 99 rushing yards. That works out to a career-low 3.2 yards per carry. Remember, this is the same dude who kicked off his NFL career with four straight 1,000-yard rushing campaigns for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Something was clearly off, and the numbers don’t lie.
Coach Harbaugh’s Harsh Reality Check
Giants head coach John Harbaugh addressed Harris’s complaints about establishing a rhythm, and while he said he understood and respected the frustration, he didn’t mince words. Harbaugh wished they had a “Derrick Henry circumstance or the Saquon Barkley circumstance,” a star back they could lean on. But the truth, according to him, is that “our run game hasn’t earned that yet. And none of those guys have.”
Harbaugh’s advice to his running backs was pretty clear: “Do the most you can with the opportunities you get. Make the most of those opportunities, and you’re sure to get more opportunities. Do something.” He hammered home that rhythm isn’t given, it’s “earned, too. And it just hasn’t happened yet.” He even pointed out that a couple weeks ago they tried to lean on the run game, and “it was no different than it was this last game.” The message was blunt: “They’re advocating for themself to be that guy. And my advice is go out there and take the job when you get the ball. Take the job.” With Harris now gone, it’s clear no one on that roster was taking the job the way Harbaugh wanted.
Skattebo’s Struggles And The Fumble Heard ‘Round New York
This whole mess with Harris started with Cam Skattebo being “punished,” and Skattebo’s season has been a rollercoaster. He started the first five games and actually looked good in the season opener, racking up 81 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in a “Sunday Night Football” win against the Dallas Cowboys. But after that, he couldn’t replicate that magic, never coming close to matching that single-game total in the next four outings.
The low point for Skattebo was a brutal fumble in overtime of a Week 5 tie against the Washington Commanders. The Giants were in position for a potential game-winning field goal, and he coughed up the rock. That mistake cost them a divisional win and landed him squarely in the doghouse. Fast forward to the Saints game, and Skattebo didn’t get a single touch. He owned up to it, telling The Athletic, “I got punished for what I did. I understand it, so I gotta be ready when coach calls my name and that wasn’t today.” With Harris now out, it’s a huge question mark if Skattebo can actually “take the job” or if the Giants are just stuck spinning their wheels in the backfield.
What a chaotic situation for the Giants. With Harris now gone and Skattebo in and out of the doghouse, the entire running back position is up in the air. Who steps up now? Can anyone “take the job” and earn that rhythm Harbaugh is so desperate for? The Giants’ ability to move the ball on the ground will definitely be worth watching in the coming weeks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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