The New York Giants got bad news regarding one of their top candidates for the RB2 spot early Tuesday, as fifth-round draft selection Tyrone Tracy Jr. had to get carted off the practice field following a non-contact injury to his ankle trying to return a kickoff. While the extent of his injury is unclear, the initial prognosis does not look good for him, so that now opens up a door for Eric Gray to take over as the Giants’ primary backup to starter Devin Singletary.
Eric Gray is now the Giants’ RB2 frontrunner following Tracy’s injury
Prior to Tracy’s injury, the battle for RB2 was an intense one between him and Gray, as both had been very impressive in training camp. The Giants could have benefited from Tracy’s ability to be used as a runner and a receiver, but they will now have to try to get similar production out of Gray until more is known about Tracy’s status.
Gray is now the certain frontrunner to land the RB2 spot, and may have been on his way to becoming that anyway after a very strong first preseason game against the Detroit Lions in which he had two rushing touchdowns, 52 yards on the ground, and 46 yards through the air, totaling 98 yards from scrimmage. His efforts were rewarded by Pro Football Focus as they named him the Offensive Player of The Week for Week 1 of the preseason.
“The touchdown run may get the most attention, but Gray’s receiving ability could be the key to him earning a real role in New York’s offense. Give his New York deployed its running backs Thursday night, the 2023 fifth-rounder appears to be behind Singletary and Tracy on New York’s depth chart; however, Thursday night’s performance keeps him in the running for the primary backup running back gig,” wrote PFF’s editorial team.
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Eric Gray will look to bounce back from a tough rookie season
Now with the opportunity available, Gray will look to bounce back after a difficult rookie campaign that saw him barely utilized in the offense and struggled in special teams. With less competition for the backup job, there is definitely less pressure on Gray to win over the coaching staff, but that doesn’t mean he can take his foot off the gas, as he still has to prove he is capable of being a consistent NFL tailback.
As the Giants await more news regarding Tracy, they will hope that Gray takes advantage of the opportunity given to him and continues to deliver strong performances. Their next preseason game is Saturday, Aug. 17 against the Houston Texans, where Gray could have the chance to secure the RB2 job for the regular season.
