Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. sustains serious ankle injury in practice, headed to hospital
New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. suffered a seemingly major right ankle injury at Tuesday’s practice and will undergo further imaging at a hospital.
Tracy muffed a kick return, twisted backwards awkwardly to retrieve the ball and buckled to the ground in pain. Trainers and doctors rushed onto the field, put an aircast on his leg within minutes and drove an emotional Tracy off the field.
The fifth-round pick out of Purdue has had a strong training camp. Losing him long-term would be a significant blow to a backfield trying to replace Saquon Barkley’s production after the Giants let their top offensive player walk to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Very difficult,” veteran back Devin Singletary said of Tuesday’s scene. “You always hate to see one of your brothers go down. He hasn’t really been playing like a rookie. He’s been like a second or third year player the way he’s been performing. We’re just going to count on one another — basically pick up for him, hold it down for him.”
Tracy, 24, a converted wide receiver at 5-10, 210 pounds, already had earned a bulk of the Giants’ short yardage work. He looked good in the preseason opener against Detroit, carrying the ball five times for 26 yards.
Running back coach Joel Thomas agreed on Sunday that Tracy’s physicality and size were standing out when the pads came on, too.
“I would go down that road,” Thomas agreed. “He’s built a little different than the rest of the room. When we took Tracy, on his film you watch from college, he does show physicality when he does run. Not that anyone else can’t, but he’s just the bigger body of the room, and he showed some more ‘bludgeony’ runs the other day in the game [against the Lions].
“Not that the other guys can’t, but he’d be a guy right now [who] will be getting some of the short yardage stuff,” Thomas added. “He can carry that torch. But am I gonna anoint him right now? By all means no.”
Without Tracy, the Giants’ running back room includes the established veteran Singletary, second-year draft pick Eric Gray, undrafted rookie Dante Miller — who is dealing with a hamstring injury — and new rookie signing Lorenzo Lingard.
Gray, 24, last year’s fifth-round pick from Oklahoma, now has an opportunity to grab hold of a major role coming off his 98 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown against the Lions.
Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have rewarded Gray with ample first-team snaps in this week’s practices, and it appears he will get meaningful work with Daniel Jones and the starters this weekend against the Houston Texans.
“I always knew I would get there,” Gray said Tuesday. “It was just a matter of time for me of getting my mindset right and being ready when the time came.”
Miller’s injury comes at a bad time for an exciting player whose strength is his speed.
He has been limited the last two days, including taking only one rep on Tuesday as an untargeted outside receiver before leaving practice early with a strength coach.
Thomas said Miller has had “a very, very productive camp” and that he has shown “pure speed” and “Tesla start” acceleration. He also said “he doesn’t play little.”
“He plays big for how his stature is,” Thomas said. “He’s not afraid to mix it up on the inside part of the run game and block, as well.”
But he can’t help the team if he isn’t on the field. Daboll also implied Tuesday morning that Miller is more of a work in progress.
“There’s some good plays that he’s made, and he’s still learning the offense and being where he’s supposed to be and all the little intricacies playing running back,” Daboll said. “When he’s had the ball in his hand, he’s made some good plays for us. There’s a lot that goes into running back with all the other things, and he’s still learning that. But he’s a good young guy to work with.”
The primary need in the backfield with Tracy out is a short yardage, downhill back. The Giants might have needed one even with a healthy Tracy.
Singletary is 5-7, 203 pounds. Miller is 5-9, 200. Lingard is 6-foot, 205. He was signed this week after the 5-10, 199 pound Jacob Saylors was released. Jashaun Corbin started camp with the team but was waived/injured.
Kareem Hunt, Latavius Murray and Joshua Kelley are some of the noteworthy available backs on the free agent market. Thomas coached Murray during his stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Tight end Lawrence Cager (groin) is now out long-term and a candidate to be waived/injured, or there are other ways Schoen could open a roster spot to add another back to the mix.
Tracy’s injury means five of the Giants’ six rookie draft picks have missed time in camp with an injury, including first-round wide receiver Malik Nabers (left ankle sprain), second-round safety Tyler Nubin (calf), third-round corner Dru Phillips (ankle), fourth-round tight end Theo Johnson (hip) and Tracy. Sixth-round linebacker Darius Muasau is the only one who has practiced throughout so far.
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