The New York Giants made a surprising roster decision with a veteran, releasing running back Najee Harris on Tuesday. The move came right after the game against the New Orleans Saints. Before kickoff, Harris was reported to be starting over Cam Skattebo.

Harris ended up playing five games for the Giants, starting this last one. He signed with New York during training camp on a one-year, $1.22 million contract while still recovering from the Achilles tendon tear he suffered last season with the Los Angeles Chargers. Now, coach John Harbaugh and the coaching staff will move forward without him in a running back room that still has plenty of questions.

The numbers never added up

Harris got his chance against the Saints, but the results were not great. He had four rushing attempts for two yards, or half a yard per carry.

His full stint with the Giants wasn’t much better. Harris finished with 31 attempts for 99 yards, an average of 3.2 yards per carry. That’s not what New York wanted from the position.

He did post a reasonable 2.61 yards after contact per attempt. However, that number falls short of what Harris produced throughout his NFL career. With the Chargers last year, Harris averaged 3.67 yards after contact per attempt. That drop suggests the Achilles injury could still be affecting his performance.

Harris, 28, was a first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. He ran for at least 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons in Pittsburgh before signing with Los Angeles in free agency on a one-year, $9.5 million deal. After the Achilles tear, his price dropped significantly, which is why the Giants were able to sign him in August.

A crowded room without clear answers

With Harris gone, the Giants will get a longer look at their younger players. The running back room is crowded to some extent.

Skattebo is still there, even though his relationship with Harbaugh has some question marks. New York also has Devin Singletary, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and fullback Patrick Ricard. Phil Mafah sits on the practice squad and could be called up for depth purposes if necessary.

Skattebo, Tracy, and Singletary can lead the room. The problem is the Giants haven’t gotten much production from any of them. It’s been an underwhelming season at the position, and Harbaugh himself said the team is still looking for a solution and for someone who can take over the job.

The game against New Orleans summed up the issue. The two leading rushers for New York weren’t running backs. Backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy had 26 rushing yards on two carries, and wide receiver Darnell Mooney added a 20-yard run.

The running backs, on the other hand, barely moved the ball: Tyrone Tracy Jr. had six carries for 18 yards, Devin Singletary had four carries for 14 yards, and Harris finished the game with four attempts for two yards. Cam Skattebo didn’t have touches.

Skattebo’s absence from the box score came after the fumble issues he had in the previous game against the Washington Commanders. That’s why Harris got the start in the first place, and it shows how much the Giants are still testing their options.

The Giants will keep searching for a lead back over the coming weeks. There are several question marks in the running back room, but Harris isn’t one of them anymore.