It's been 11 months since Najee Harris last took a football hit that counted. Back in Week 3 of the 2025 season, Harris tore his Achilles while playing for the Chargers, ending his year after just 3 games. Tonight, in the preseason finale against the Jets, he's finally expected to get back on the field.
Expecting running back Najee Harris to get his first game action with the Giants tonight -- his first action since tearing his Achilles in Week 3 of 2025.
The path here has been a winding one. Harris spent his first 4 NFL seasons in Pittsburgh, where he ran for at least 1,000 yards every single year, including 1,043 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024. He left for the Chargers in free agency last offseason looking for a fresh start, and instead got 3 games and a season-ending injury for his trouble. Earlier this month he signed a one-year deal with the Giants, his third team in as many years, hunting for a bounce-back.
That's what makes tonight worth watching beyond garbage-time preseason box scores. An Achilles tear is one of the more brutal injuries a running back can suffer, and recovery timelines are notoriously unpredictable — plenty of backs never look quite the same. Harris getting cleared for live reps against the Jets, even in a preseason finale most starters are sitting out, is the first real evidence of where he actually stands physically.
Najee Harris set to play tonight, first game action since tearing Achilles 11 months ago. t.co/CtIfGGuM3k
For the Giants, this is about more than just checking a box. New York's backfield has been crowded all camp, and how Harris looks tonight will shape how much run he actually gets once Week 1 arrives. A clean outing with some burst goes a long way toward locking in a role; a cautious, limited workload says the recovery still has ground to cover.
Either way, tonight is the first data point in a story that's been building since last September. Harris has made no secret that he's got something to prove after the Chargers stint went sideways, and the only way to answer any of the lingering questions is to actually watch him run the ball again.