Giants' Matt Breida: Struggles in reserve role

Breida went without a carry while playing five snaps on offense in Sunday's 27-10 win over the Eagles.

Breida ended the regular season with 55 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown while catching 17 of 21 targets for 88 yards over 17 games. He played second fiddle behind workhorse Saquon Barkley for most of the season, but even when Barkley was sidelined from Weeks 3 through 5 due to injury, Breida couldn't get much going on the ground as the fill-in starting running back. The seventh-year veteran's role decreased as the campaign wound down, and he played only eight offensive snaps without logging any stats over the final two weeks. That drop in opportunity came as New York gave rookie Eric Gray a longer look, perhaps signaling the team's desire to use him more as a ball carrier next season. Meanwhile, Breida is set to hit free agency and is far from a certainty to return to New York in 2024. He has durability going for him, having played all 34 regular-season games for the Giants over the past two season, but after averaging a meager 2.7 yards per carry in 2023, he'll likely be looking at a backup role regardless of where he lands.