The pads finally came on Monday at the New York Giants’ training camp in West Virginia, and with them came exactly what Head Coach John Harbaugh expected—physical football, mistakes to correct, and the foundation of the team’s new identity beginning to take shape.
While the first full-contact practice featured its share of penalties and sloppy moments, the overwhelming message from players and coaches was clear: this Giants team is determined to become one of the NFL’s most physical football teams.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. Welcomes the Competition
Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. enters the 2026 season after back-to-back 1,000-yard-from-scrimmage campaigns, but there is no sense of complacency. Instead, he’s embracing the competition brought by rookie Cam Skattebo and believes the duo can elevate each other.
“Iron sharpens iron,” Tracy said. “He’s going to push me, I’m going to push him.”
Rather than viewing the backfield as a battle for touches, Tracy sees it as an opportunity to create one of the league’s deepest running back rooms.
“We’re two different running backs. We complement each other really well.”
That mindset perfectly aligns with Harbaugh’s offensive philosophy. The veteran coach has made no secret that the Giants intend to establish the run, and Tracy couldn’t be happier.
“We want the ball. We want to run the ball,” Tracy said. “We don’t see it as pressure—we see it as opportunity.”
Greg Roman’s Influence Already Showing
One of the biggest adjustments for the offense has been working under Senior Offensive Assistant Greg Roman, whose rushing attacks have consistently ranked among the NFL’s best.
Tracy admitted Roman’s attention to detail has left an impression.
“I’m sitting there in awe each and every time he gets up to talk,” Tracy said. “There’s really no gray area.”
Roman’s system isn’t simply about lining up and running downhill. Tracy explained that the same running concepts appear from multiple formations, motions, personnel packages and blocking schemes, making the offense difficult to diagnose while remaining simple for the players executing it.
That “elegant simplicity,” as Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy describes it, has become one of the offensive themes throughout camp.
Young Talent Turning Heads
If Monday’s practice proved anything, it’s that the Giants’ rookie class continues to earn rave reviews from veterans across the roster.
Few players generated more praise than linebacker Arvell Reese.
Tracy called him a “see ball, get ball” linebacker.
“He’s big, strong, physical,” Tracy said. “You don’t have to say much to him. You just put him on the football field and let him work.”
Veteran defensive tackle DJ Reader was equally impressed.
“That kid has a real chance to be special.”
Harbaugh echoed those sentiments.
“He’s playing really well,” Harbaugh said. “He’s very sharp for a first-year guy, makes very few mistakes, and he’s very determined.”
Offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor experienced Reese’s physicality firsthand during Monday’s practice.
“He likes to hit,” Eluemunor joked. “I’m glad he’s on our team.”
The praise wasn’t limited to Reese.
First-round offensive tackle Francis “Sisi” Mauigoa also continues to impress both sides of the football.
Reader described the rookie as “heavy-handed” and surprisingly powerful.
“He can get some push on you.”
Eluemunor praised Mauigoa’s maturity beyond his years.
“He holds everyone accountable. That’s rare in a young guy.”
Building a More Physical Football Team
Perhaps the strongest theme from Monday’s media sessions was physicality.
Harbaugh has repeatedly emphasized that his football teams win at the line of scrimmage, and his players have clearly embraced that message.
For Tracy, the running backs are eager to become the identity of the offense.
“We want to be more physical. We want to be more aggressive.”
For Eluemunor, that mentality extends across the entire roster.
“We’re going to be a physical team this year,” he said. “We’re going to wear you out.”
He compared the offense to a boxer methodically breaking down an opponent.
“We’re going to keep taking body shots, and then in the fourth quarter hopefully land the knockout punch.”
On the defensive side, stopping the run remains priority number one.
Reader, one of the league’s premier run defenders throughout his career, believes fixing the Giants’ struggles against the run starts with collective effort.
“It takes everybody,” Reader said. “If you’re bought in, you can stop the run.”
He emphasized that dominating early downs allows New York’s talented edge rushers to attack quarterbacks in obvious passing situations.
“That’s the most important thing in the game—getting the ball back to the offense.”
Mistakes Expected, Panic Unnecessary
The Giants committed numerous pre-snap penalties during Monday’s practice, but nobody inside the building appeared concerned.
Harbaugh pointed to two obvious factors.
“It was the first day in pads and we had the weather.”
He also noted that quarterback Jaxson Dart’s cadence is intentionally designed to challenge both defenses—and occasionally his own offense during training camp.
“Cadence is something we hope to use as a weapon.”
Eluemunor believes the penalties were simply the result of players finally getting to play football again.
“You put pads on and you start feeling like a little kid again.”
Both he and Tracy expect those issues to disappear quickly as camp progresses.
Confidence in Jaxson Dart
As the offense continues adjusting to an entirely new system, Tracy believes second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart has handled the transition well.
“He’s doing everything that’s asked of him plus some.”
Tracy also highlighted veteran Jameis Winston’s impact behind the scenes, calling him an invaluable mentor whose leadership benefits every quarterback on the roster.
The combination has Tracy optimistic about where the offense is headed.
The Critical Week Begins
Harbaugh repeatedly called the second week of training camp the most important stretch of the summer.
“This is your opportunity to really grow as a football team,” he said.
The focus isn’t evaluating the roster quite yet.
Instead, it’s laying the foundation.
Players like Tracy, Reader and Eluemunor all echoed that same philosophy throughout Monday’s availability.
Mistakes will happen.
Competition will be fierce.
The physical identity will continue to develop.
If Monday’s first padded practice offered any indication, the Giants are fully committed to becoming a football team that wins through toughness, depth and relentless effort—exactly the culture Harbaugh intends to build heading into the 2026 season.
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