New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo admitted that he contemplated retirement following a severe leg injury that cut short his rookie season after seven games. Skattebo shared in a recent interview that the initial month after his injury was filled with doubts about continuing his football career.
"Yeah, definitely. The first month was kind of like, damn, do I really wanna do this?" Skattebo said. He added that the injury, which occurred during his eighth career game against the Philadelphia Eagles, involved a dislocated right ankle and an open fracture of the right tibia. The tackle was made by Zack Baun.
This incident marked a departure from a personal rule Skattebo had set for himself. "Coming out of college, going to the NFL, I think I gave myself one rule and it was if I ever got a major injury, I was done playing," he explained. "And that happened seven games into my career. So, it kind of sucked."
Despite the severity of the injury and his initial reaction, Skattebo found a period of personal growth during his recovery. "I think that really helped me find who I am as a player and as a person," he stated. "I was able to sit at home for 14 hours a day, do absolutely nothing for weeks on end. So just finding who I was, finding my happiness, finding the person I wanted to be on and off the field. And I think, that’s something that I’ve built over the last nine, 10 months."
Skattebo, a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, quickly became a fan favorite with his energetic style and backflipping touchdown celebrations. In his seven games, he recorded 410 rushing yards and five touchdowns, along with 207 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 24 receptions.
He is entering the 2026 season as part of a competitive running backs room for the Giants under new coach John Harbaugh, competing for carries with teammates Tyrone Tracy, Najee Harris, Devin Singletary, and Patrick Ricard. Skattebo has shifted his focus back to football, stating, "Being able to now focus back on football. I’ve had lots of talks with family and friends that, hey, look, it’s football time now. And all my outside stressors from football kind of go away now, because I’ve been able to have those talks with people and allow myself to focus on one thing. So it’s been awesome."