The New York Giants reportedly are releasing running back Najee Harris on Tuesday, two days after he was critical of his role in the backfield.
NFL Network reported the news on Harris after his four-carry, 2-yard performance in New York’s 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
“It’s hard to get in a rhythm with one or two plays,” he said after the game. “The first couple runs will be like, ‘OK, how are they playing it?’ And then the next ones will be, ‘OK, this is how you attack it.’ But if you’re getting a play here and then get taken out for a series, there’s nothing you could do. That’s why I’m saying, ‘I don’t know.’ I’ve never been through none of this before.”
Harris was part of a crowded running back room featuring second-year pro Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary. Skattebo leads the Giants (3-2-1) in carries (81) and rushing yards (294), although he had zero of each on Sunday.
“We’re not running well enough. We’re not putting up enough yards. We’re not putting up enough consistency. We’re not efficient in our run game,” Giants coach John Harbaugh said. “Those kind of things are the outward results of what we’ve been doing.
“It’s not for lack of effort. It’s not for lack of trying. We’ve run the ball quite a bit. We’ve handed it off quite a bit, and all those things. But we’re not doing it at the level we really plan on doing it at to be the type of football team we want to be. We want to do it much more effectively than we have.”
Signed in August, Harris has 31 carries for 99 yards in five games (one start) this season. He is approximately 13 months removed from an Achilles injury.
Harris, 28, was a first-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021 and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons with the Steelers (2021-24) before making three appearances last season with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Harris has rushed for 4,472 yards and 28 touchdowns and caught 184 passes for 1,179 yards and six scores in 76 career games (69 starts).