The New York Giants aren’t standing still after Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s latest fumble. Instead, the Giants have quickly snatched a running back from the team they beat in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
Big Blue added former Dallas Cowboys’ draft pick Phil Mafah to the practice squad on Monday, September 14, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He confirmed the signing less than 24 hours after the Giants beat the Cowboys 28-20 on Sunday Night Football at MetLife Stadium.
Fowler’s colleague Jordan Raanan reported the corresponding move. Namely, how “The Giants also waived WR Dalen Cambre. Don’t be surprised to see Cambre back on practice squad if he clears waivers.”
Cambre’s flitted on and off the roster multiple times, so he probably still has a future. Tracy faces more serious questions about his status, though. His second-quarter fumble inside the red zone against Dallas was another setback after Tracy coughed up the ball during a rough preseason.
Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s Trending in the Wrong Direction
Tracy’s turnover with two minutes left in the half added to the growing sense new head coach John Harbaugh and his staff can’t trust him.
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Harbaugh’s right to be wary about the Giants calling Tracy’s number. His fumble against Dallas took points off the board in a close game, but it’s also part of a worrying pattern of ongoing issues with ball security.
The trend contradicts Tracy’s own statements about his reliability. Specifically, his declaration, “I’m not a fumbler. My teammates know I’m not a fumbler,” per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy.
He recounted how Tracy “fumbled 5x as a rookie, 1x last year, 1x this preseason and now on his 2nd carry here.”
He fumbled 5x as a rookie, 1x last year, 1x this preseason and now on his 2nd carry here. #Giants
The trend continued when Tracy put the ball on the dirt against the Miami Dolphins in the Giants’ second preseason contest. He’d already caught Harbaugh’s attention for the all the wrong reasons after whiffing a block that let the Minnesota Vikings deck quarterback Jaxson Dart in the opening exhibition game.
Not being able to protect his quarterback or keep hold of the ball will get Tracy frozen out by Harbaugh. Especially when the coach has sought more suitable scheme fits for his power-based running game.
Mafah is the latest who fits the bill.
Giants Add Another Power Back
Mafah couldn’t prove to the Cowboys he was a late-round steal, but the 2025 seventh-rounder has the physical attributes to fit the Giants’ offense. He’s a 6-foot-1, 223-pounder who favors a straight-line running style based more on knocking over would-be tacklers than making defenders miss.
This rushing approach is shared by another newcomer, prolific veteran Najee Harris. The former Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers’ bruiser compiled four 1,000-yard seasons with brute-force runs that suit what Harbaugh’s Giants are doing offensively.
It wasn’t Harris who powered the Harbaugh plan in Week 1. Instead, lead workhorse Cam Skattebo was the oil in the engine for a “dirty” offense that roughed up the Cowboys.
Skattebo was the sledgehammer, but versatile veteran Devin Singletary took on the pass-catching role Tracy might’ve hoped to make his own. Singletary proved trustworthy by reeling in four receptions for 22 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown catch and run.
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Tracy has a lot to do to convince Harbaugh he should get onto the field. The Giants adding another running back only increases the pressure the third-year pro is under.
Giants Add Former Cowboys’ RB Amid Tyrone Tracy Jr. Setback