After the departure of longtime New York Giants staple Saquon Barkley, there was heavy speculation on whether the team could even come close to replacing the level of production he provided. The Giants did bring in free agent Devin Singletary, who has been a nice piece, but the real surprise of the season has been 5th-round rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who is now clearly the starting back.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. turns on the speed for a 45-yard TD!
📺: #NYGvsPIT on ESPN/ABC/ESPN2
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/CAhhcXCFhD— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2024
In an eventual loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tracy was far and away the best offensive player for the struggling Giants offense. On the night in primetime Tracy managed 145 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, this left him with a staggering 7.2 yards per rush for the contest. Tracy looked explosive and agile, zipping through holes and forcing Pittsburgh to play up to the run. While Daniel Jones couldn’t quite cash in on the relief, it was still a fantastic night for the unexpected superstar.
Tracy looks very promising in his new role as the Giants top running back, and as the season moves on, he becomes a real threat to eclipse the century mark. Though the Giants are not a very good team for a number of reasons, the breakout of both Tracy and fellow rookie Malik Nabers leaves a lot of promise for the future in New York.