Tyrone Tracy Jr. eager to be part of Giants' 1-2 RB punch with Devin Singletary

After starting the last two games and emerging as a budding NFL playmaker, rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. knows things will change for him whenever Devin Singletary returns to action from his groin injury.

But he thinks they will change for the better.

“Shoot, we’re really excited,” Tracy told Newsday of eventually teaming up with Singletary as a two-man backfield, even though it probably will mean fewer carries and touches than either of them has gotten during their times as the Giants’ featured back this season.

“You get the best of both worlds with both of us. We’re a duo where it doesn’t really matter which one of us is in there. You can do any type of run with either of us, any type of pass. Just because one person is in there doesn’t mean our offense has any type of limitation.

“We’re going to benefit each other with the other being out there.”

That’s not exactly the way things were planned coming into this season. Singletary was the free agent who had a history with Giants coach Brian Daboll from their time together in Buffalo and who signed to replace Saquon Barkley after he left to join the Eagles. Tracy was a fifth-round draft pick out of Purdue, a wide receiver who converted only recently to running back.

Through the first four games, it was pretty much Singletary’s job alone. Tracy averaged three carries and 2.4 yards per carry during that time.

Then Singletary injured his groin late against the Cowboys in Week 4 and Tracy stepped in. He has had at least 100 yards from scrimmage in each of the two games in which he was the lead back, averaging 17.5 carries and 5.1 yards per carry.

“These are the things I’ve prayed for,” Tracy said. “It meant a lot to me to understand that I have done everything the right way and I am reaping the benefits of it. It means a lot that I get to go out there and star and have a good game, earn the trust of teammates and coaches, and take advantage of the opportunity.”

It’s meant a lot more attention for him, and some other bonuses, too, including a recent sponsorship contract with Nike and some trading card deals.

“In my head, I’m not doing anything crazy,” he said of the whirlwind. “I’m just playing football, trying to do my best to put the team in a good position. Everybody else is like, ‘Oh my God, he’s doing such an amazing job, he’s only a rookie, blah blah blah.’ But I prepare the right way so when the opportunity comes, me doing good is not a surprise to me. Besides, I don’t even think I’m that good.”

Not as good as he believes he can be when Singletary returns to action. That could happen this week.

Singletary has been limited in practices this week and hasn’t had any setbacks. In this game in which the Giants face Barkley for the first time since his departure to the Eagles, they could have not just one but two backs who are combining to replace him.

“I think it’s going to make me better,” Tracy said of the eventual pairing. “We’ll be able to bounce ideas off each other. Whatever we are seeing out there, he can come off and tell me how the backers are playing, how the D-line is playing and vice versa. But I will also get vet advice, things I wouldn’t normally know but things he’s been through during his time in the league that he can tell me to watch for. Some things he’s seen over the years that I really am oblivious to just because I haven’t been in that situation before.”

Tracy said he isn’t worried about how the Giants will divvy up the workload once Singletary is back. He’s unlikely to be relegated to his brief cameo appearances. They almost certainly will be more like partners than the lead and his understudy.

“Tyrone has capitalized on his opportunities,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “Depending on the game plan, depending on the week, depending on the flow of the game, how things are going, that can determine a lot of things about whether they’re getting touches or not . . . We have a great running back room, so we have full confidence in whoever’s out there.”

There are only two things left for that two-man scenario to play out to its fullest: Singletary has to get healthy . . . and they have to perform well enough to come up with a nickname for themselves.

All the great combos have them, whether it be the Giants’ “Earth, Wind and Fire” backfield of Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward in 2008 or the recently dubbed “Sonic and Knuckles” duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in Detroit.

That however is one job Tracy is very much willing to cede to Singletary.

“That’s up to the vet,” Tracy said with a laugh. “The vet has to come up with that. But it’s gotta be good.”

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.