New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo marked the team's first touchdown of the season against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football by executing his signature celebratory backflip. The play, a 3-yard run, put the Giants ahead and was followed by Skattebo's acrobatic celebration at MetLife Stadium.
This touchdown marked Skattebo's first opportunity to perform the backflip on the field since his previous season was cut short by a right ankle dislocation and an open tibia fracture. Earlier in the summer, he attempted a backflip at Fanatics Fest in Manhattan, but did not land it cleanly. This incident had drawn a less-than-enthusiastic reaction from Giants General Manager Joe Schoen, who expressed concern about such displays so close to the start of training camp.
Schoen had commented on the earlier backflip, stating, "The video shows a little bit about how good his rehab’s been, that he’s able to not land it and still be okay. But he knows I’d rather him not do that, especially this close to camp."
Following the Fanatics Fest event, Skattebo indicated that he would refrain from backflips during the preseason, focusing instead on training camp. He told reporters at the time, "When game time comes around, we’ll see when game time comes around. Right now, we’re focused on training camp. We’ll keep the backflips off the field for now."
With the start of the regular season, Skattebo delivered on his promise to bring back the celebration during a game, successfully landing his signature move after scoring against the rival Cowboys.