New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo has disclosed that he considered retiring from professional football following a severe ankle injury sustained during his rookie season. The injury, a brutal ankle dislocation, occurred in a Week 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles and prematurely ended Skattebo's debut NFL campaign.
Speaking on The Up & Adams Show, Skattebo, 24, admitted that a pact he made coming out of college—to retire if he suffered a major injury—weighed heavily on his mind. "I gave myself one rule; if I ever got a major injury I was done playing," Skattebo stated. "And that happened seven games into my career."
He described the initial period after the injury as a difficult time, where he contemplated his future in the sport. "I would say probably a month in [he gave it serious consideration]," he said when asked about retiring. "The first month was kind of like, 'Damn, do I really want to do this?'"
However, Skattebo ultimately decided against retirement, motivated by the fact that the injury occurred early in his career. "I was like, 'I got to go back and play'," he explained. "If it was like the end of the year, and I was like, 'Okay, I'm over this' [then maybe] but I didn't feel that way at all." He expressed appreciation for the experience, viewing it as a period that helped him discover his resilience as both a player and an individual, allowing him to "find that deep place and coming out of a hole that I didn't know I could come out of."
During his recovery, Skattebo engaged in various activities, including a cameo appearance at a WWE event. He also made headlines in July for attempting a backflip at Fanatics Fest in New York City, an act that resulted in him stumbling and falling, raising concerns among Giants fans.
Giants head coach, who was not yet identified in the notes but presumably the coach mentioned, humorously commented on the backflip attempt, stating, "Dude, at least stick it." Skattebo, however, later explained that the incident occurred due to the "bouncy" floor at the event, not due to his surgically repaired leg, and assured that he was unharmed. "I will not hurt myself before the season," he stated. "So that's why I kinda like went back, safely landed, got back up, was good to go."
Skattebo is now back in action and is expected to start in the Giants' Week 1 season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
