Najee Harris will not play today when the New York Giants face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. The veteran running back is inactive for the Sunday Night Football matchup, leaving the Giants without one of the newest additions to their backfield for the start of the regular season.
The Giants have not officially disclosed the reason for Harris’ inactive status. However, his situation is somewhat different from a typical game-day scratch because he did not appear on New York’s Week 1 injury report. That makes an injury-related absence less likely and points more toward a football decision by the coaching staff.
Harris joined the Giants on Aug. 18, giving him less than a month to get up to speed with a completely new offense and coaching staff. He was also returning from the torn Achilles he suffered early last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, so the Giants may simply have decided that he needs more time to regain his football rhythm before taking regular-season snaps.
Najee Harris inactive against the Cowboys
The most likely explanation is that Najee Harris simply was not ready to handle a meaningful role after joining the Giants so late in the offseason. John Harbaugh had already acknowledged that Harris was not yet in football shape when he arrived in New York, making his eventual availability for Week 1 something worth monitoring.
Harris did get an opportunity to play in the preseason finale against the New York Jets, rushing 11 times for 39 yards and adding a 20-yard reception. That performance showed he was moving in the right direction, but the Giants may have preferred to give him additional time rather than immediately place him into a regular-season rotation.
His absence means Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. will handle the running back responsibilities against Dallas. Skattebo is expected to lead the group, while Singletary and Tracy can take on complementary roles. For Harris, the inactive designation is another reminder that his return to a full NFL workload is being handled carefully after both his late arrival in New York and last year’s Achilles injury.
