Running Back Devin Singletary Remaining With New York Giants On Restructured Contract
When the New York Giants started cutting players and clearing cap space this offseason, most people figured Devin Singletary was next in line to pack his bags. After all, $6.5 million for a third-string running back isn’t exactly a bargain in today’s NFL.
Singletary and the Giants agreed to a restructured contract ahead of the 2026 NFL free agency period, converting a chunk of his $5.25 million base salary into performance-based incentives. Translation: Singletary took a pay cut, bet on himself, and decided he wasn’t ready to test the open market just yet. Will the deal pay off?
Why the Giants Decided To Keep Singletary
On the surface, this might look like a head-scratcher. The Giants have Tyrone Tracy Jr. and highly-touted rookie Cam Skattebo waiting in the wings, both of whom are expected to handle the bulk of the backfield duties in 2026. So why bother keeping a guy who rushed for just 437 yards last season?
Singletary quietly put together one of the most underrated résumés at the running back position when it comes to pass protection. His PFF pass-blocking grade of 67.0 last season wasn’t just the best among Giants running backs; it wasn’t even close. Tracy graded out at 45.5, and Skattebo? A painful 11.6. That’s not a typo.
New Head Coach John Harbaugh, who built his Hall of Fame reputation running the ball in Baltimore, knows exactly what a complete, disciplined running back looks like. And Singletary fits that mold.
Singletary’s Short-Yardage Numbers Tell the Real Story
Here’s where it gets genuinely impressive. In short-yardage situations requiring one to three yards for a first down, Singletary converted 15 of 27 rushing attempts in 2025 alone.
Zoom out over his two seasons with the Giants, and the numbers get even better. On those same short-yardage runs, Singletary has accumulated 122 yards on 46 carries, 5 touchdowns, 30 first downs, and a 65.2% first down conversion rate. That’s not a running back who’s just taking up space on the roster. That’s a chess piece with real value.
What This Means For the Giants’ Backfield
With Skattebo recovering from a serious ankle injury he suffered in Week 8 last season, the Giants needed depth. Keeping Singletary at a reduced rate gives them exactly that, without burning a massive hole in the cap.
The restructured deal also adds an interesting wrinkle to the Kenneth Walker III sweepstakes. The Giants were among the teams rumored to have interest in the Super Bowl MVP after the Seahawks declined to use their franchise tag on him. Walker hits free agency next week and is projected to command around $9 million per year.
Could the Giants still sign Walker? Sure. Could Singletary’s restructured deal make him easier to trade if that happens? Also yes. New York has kept their options open, which is exactly how you want to operate entering free agency.
Singletary Is Still a Giant, That Matters
There’s something refreshingly old-school about a veteran running back accepting a pay cut to stay with a team he believes in. Singletary could have walked. He could have tested the market and taken whatever deal was out there. Instead, he bet on himself, bought into Harbaugh’s run-first vision, and gave the Giants the flexibility they needed.
The Giants enter free agency leaner, more flexible, and with one of the NFL’s best short-yardage backs still in the building. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to be cap casualty No. 2 this week.
