Release and recent usage patterns
The New York Giants released running back Najee Harris on Tuesday, a move first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and confirmed by team transactions. On Sunday, Harris expressed concern about the distribution of touches in the team's ground game.
Harris appeared in five games for the Giants, making one start and carrying the ball 31 times for 99 yards. In Sunday’s loss to the Saints, he logged four carries for two yards while on the field for 11 snaps. Those limited opportunities and modest production underpinned the team’s decision to cut ties.
Career context and implications for Harris and the Giants
Harris arrived in New York after an earlier stretch in the league that included being drafted 24th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021 and producing four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Pittsburgh declined his fifth-year option; he later spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers and dealt with injury before signing with the Giants as a depth addition in the preseason.
The Giants’ move clears a roster spot and signals the organization remains intent on finding more consistent production from its backfield. The team’s willingness to cycle through options at the position contributed to Harris becoming expendable after a brief and largely unproductive stint in East Rutherford.
With Harris now a free agent, his next step is uncertain. Yardbarker projects that his options will hinge on whether another team places value on a veteran who once handled high volume but has struggled to regain that form following injury and limited recent usage. That outlook frames Harris’ immediate market: teams weighing short-term depth versus long-term upside will determine whether he draws interest.
For the Giants, the transaction is both a short-term roster adjustment and a continuation of a search for backfield stability. The front office has now opted to move on from a veteran addition that never carved out a meaningful role, prioritizing flexibility as the season progresses.
Harris’ public concern about touch distribution adds a personal element to the roster move; reporting noted his limited usage and production during five games with the Giants — 31 carries for 99 yards — and that he had four carries for two yards on 11 snaps in Sunday's loss. How quickly he lands with another team — and whether he can return to the form that produced multiple 1,000-yard seasons — will shape the next chapter of his career.
