New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo had made himself a promise long before he reached the NFL: If he ever suffered a major injury, he would walk away from football.
Seven games into his rookie career, that exact scenario unfolded.
Speaking with Kay Adams on Up & Adams on Thursday, Skattebo revealed that retirement became a legitimate consideration after the devastating ankle injury that ended his 2025 season.
"Do I really wanna do this?"
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) September 3, 2026
Cam Skattebo thought about walking away from the NFL about a month after his injury. pic.twitter.com/wOl372prp9
“I gave myself one rule: If I ever got a major injury, I was done playing. That happened seven games into my career. So, that kind of sucked,” Skattebo said. “I think that really helped me find who
I am as a player and as a person.”
Skattebo admitted the first month following the injury was particularly difficult.
“Yeah, definitely,” Skattebo said when asked if he thought about retirement. “I would say a month in -- the first month was kind of like, ‘Damn. Do I really want to do this?’”
The injury came during the Giants' Week 8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, when Skattebo suffered a dislocated ankle, fractured fibula, and ruptured deltoid ligament. Surgery ended an impressive rookie campaign.
The physical recovery was only part of the challenge.
Skattebo said he spent 14 hours a day at home inside his own head, using that time to search for his happiness. Eventually, though, the doubts disappeared.
By the end of the season, Skattebo said the thoughts of retirement were long gone. He had climbed out of a hole he didn't know he could escape. Now, he's ready to continue the career he once briefly considered ending.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Cam Skattebo considered retirement after brutal 2025 injury
