The New York Giants are dealing with an injury to their clear-cut top running back coming off their bye week.
Cam Skattebo is dealing with a hamstring injury that he suffered on the final carry of his Week 7 game against the Houston Texans. He pulled up lame at the end of a 42-yard run in overtime and ceded the field for the final snap, which resulted in a game-winning, 30-yard Devin Singletary
touchdown run.Skattebo didn't seem concerned about his injury after the game, so many believed the second-year running back would be good to go for the team's Week 9 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Instead, Skattebo has continued to be absent from practice, which has thrown his status into flux.
Here's what to know about Skattebo's injury and when
he might return to the field for the division-leading Giants.
Is Cam Skattebo playing Week 9?
Skattebo's status for the Giants' Week 9 game against the Eagles remains unclear. The second-year running back was unable to practice leading up to the game, being listed as a non-participant at all three of New York's sessions.
However, John Harbaugh didn't rule Skattebo out during his media availability following Friday's practice, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.
Skattebo's status will nonetheless need to be monitored closely in the lead-up to New York's Week 9 game. If the Giants elevate a running back from their practice squad on Saturday, that could be a sign that the 24-year-old will be out Sunday while keeping one eye on the team's "Thursday Night Football" game against the Washington Commanders in Week 10.
When will Cam Skattebo return?
The Giants have not yet provided a definitive timeline for Skattebo's return to the field.
Harbaugh didn't seem overly concerned about Skattebo's absence being of the long-term variety. He referred to the running back as "day-to-day" entering the practice week while saying the team would take a wait-and-see approach with the 24-year-old.
During a Wednesday, Nov. 4 press conference, Harbaugh also alluded to the tricky nature of predicting recovery for soft-tissue injuries, like hamstring problems.
"Skatt's got a hamstring, so you know how that goes," Harbaugh said, referring to Skattebo by his nickname. "We'll see."
Who is Cam Skattebo's backup?
Devin Singletary is currently entrenched as the clear-cut backup to Skattebo. The 29-year-old veteran is in his third season with the Giants but has played sparingly to date, racking up 80 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Singletary produced exactly 437 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons with the Giants while serving largely as a backup or third-string option. The 2019 third-round pick posted three seasons with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards from 2021-23 and would get a lion's share of New York's backfield workload if Skattebo can't play.
Giants RB depth chart
The Giants presently have three running backs on their 53-man roster, as normal backup Tyrone Tracy Jr. is on IR with a hamstring injury while veteran Najee Harris was released earlier in the season. Below is a look at the pecking order within the unit.
- Cam Skattebo
- Devin Singletary
- Greg Desrosiers
Desrosiers is an undrafted rookie who played collegiately at Louisville, UMass and Memphis before joining the NFL ranks. He originally signed with the Los Angeles Chargers but was released following final cuts and joined their practice squad.
The Giants inked Desrosier to their 53-man roster to poach him from the Chargers, so he may get a first crack at backing up Singletary with Skattebo out.
The Giants also have Grant Finley, Eric Gray and Phil Mafah on the practice squad, so any could be called up to provide additional depth. Gray has almost exclusively been with the Giants since being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, save for a month-long stint with the Cleveland Browns' practice squad earlier this season. His familiarity with the Giants and special teams skills could prove to be a tiebreaker when New York assesses its potential call-ups.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Cam Skattebo playing this week? Latest injury update on Giants RB
