He’s coming off a torn Achilles and had spent most of this offseason unwanted on the 2026 NFL free agency market, but running back Najee Harris is making bold promises to the New York Giants.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers back had his first practice with his new team after signing a one-year contract with the Giants on Tuesday, August 18. Harris used his initial comments to the press to make the Giants a promise about his powers of recuperation.
Simply having Harris on the field running individual drills so soon after his initial free-agent visit on Monday, is a positive sign for the Giants. The 28-year-old knows he needs to prove he’s fully healthy, and Harris acknowledged “there’s gonna be a lot of questions about how I’ll come back. I’m ready to answer all those,” per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.
It’s a bold statement from a veteran trying to bounce back from a serious injury, while also competing for work in a stacked rotation. Four-time 1,000-yard rusher Harris has the pedigree to take carries away from Giants’ incumbents Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary, but the newcomer knows past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
That’s why Harris told reporters “I have a lot to prove. As somebody who’s coming back from a torn Achilles, really everything that I did in the past is in the past. Everything I do now is really what matters.”
– Najee Harris
Fortunately for Harris, two key intangibles can help him win the uphill battle for touches in a new-look Giants’ running game.
Najee Harris Has 2 Advantages in Competition for Carries
New head coach John Harbaugh has been working with Skattebo and Co. for months, but he doesn’t know any of the Giants’ backs as well as he knows Harris. Former Baltimore Ravens’ boss Harbaugh faced Harris twice a year for three seasons when the latter was member of the Steelers from 2021-’24.
It was a fruitful rivalry for Harris, according to NFL on Prime Video Insider James Palmer. He pointed out how “the only team Harris rushed for more yards against than the Ravens were the Browns.”
Palmer also noted Harris’ time playing for Harbaugh’s brother Jim and longtime ally Greg Roman with the Chargers in 2025.
Roman is now on the staff for the Giants, and he’s expected to change how the G-Men block for the run. Specifically, Roman prefers power-based blocking for smash-mouth gap, counter and trap plays.
It’s no-small change for the Giants, but Harris is already fully up to speed within the Roman system. He also ran something similar in Pittsburgh.
Harris revealed the Roman style was a major factor behind him choosing the Giants as his third pro team. The first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft explained why “this is a good opportunity here. I think the style of play that they’re heading towards is the style of play that aligns with me.”
Najee Harris talks about why the Giants were the right team for him:
Scheme fit and familiarity with the coaches provide Harris with the springboard to leap ahead of the other backs on the Giants’ depth chart once he’s up to full speed. Harbaugh thinks that’s likely to take “2-3 weeks. Just in time, probably,” per Leonard.
It’s long enough for the Giants to answer some of the lingering questions about their other key running backs.
Giants Still Have Questions About Running Backs
The Giants didn’t sign Harris merely as cover after they waived a popular reserve runner because of injury. They also needed Harris to boost the physicality of their rushing attack.
Harbaugh likes his ground game to bludgeon defenses, but hidden stats reveal worrying frailty concerning Skattebo. Meanwhile, Tracy is a slashing-style runner than a straight-ahead bruiser, and Singletary also runs with more speed than brute force.
Harris offers something different as a 6-foot-1, 242-pounder who can punish would-be tacklers. That bigger frame will also be useful in pass-protection, where Tracy was guilty of a high-profile gaffe against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 of the preseason. A mistake that left quarterback Jaxson Dart on the receiving end of a brutal hit.
This many question marks about their running backs meant the Giants could hardly ignore Harris. He’s a proven commodity determined to show his doubters he can bounce back stronger than ever and reward the Giants for their show of faith.
Najee Harris Makes Promise to Giants About Comeback