The New York Giants are entering the 2026 NFL season with a running back room that has a little bit of everything. They have experience, depth, toughness, and versatility.
That is, if everyone can stay healthy and focused.
Which brings us to the case of second-year back Cam Skattebo, who became a folk hero last year in just eight games. Skattebo, a fourth-round pick out of Arizona State, suffered a fractured ankle midway through the season, but not before capturing the hearts and imagination of Giants fans.
His smashmouth style and straightforward approach to the game and life in general may not support a long NFL career. People are taking notice, most notably Giants' head coach John Harbaugh.
"Skatt’s great. He does bring a lot of energy," Harbaugh
said last week after Skattebo started a skirmish with defensive players at practice.
"But he did get a 15-yard penalty at the end of practice. Did you notice that? That's not infectious. Well, it is infectious, actually. Infectious in a bad way, right? Like an infectious disease type of thing (laughs). We don't want that. So, we want it to be directed in a positive way."
That's the issue. Skattebo has one speed. Full throttle. Joel Corry, a former NFL agent, believes Skattebo needs to be reined in. If the Giants won't do it, maybe his agent, or reps, should.
When situations like these arise, an agent should provide counsel to their client. It's an agent's job to tell a client what he needs to hear, not what he wants to hear. That isn't always done. Some agents are reluctant to be candid for fear of being fired and instead become enablers.
The initial backflip created an opportunity to warn Skattebo about the risk he was taking, considering he hadn't completely recovered from a serious injury. Had there been a major setback that jeopardized or ended Skattebo's 2026 season, which fortunately didn't occur with either backflip, he would have landed on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list (NFI).
Corry is referring to the backflip Skattebo performed earlier this year at Fanatics Fest, where he didn't stick the landing. For a player who had not shown he could play football yet with his reconstructed ankle, this opened a lot of eyes. Not in a good way, either.
The Giants are aware they can't corral Skattebo completely. His persona is what it is. He's reckless in every direction he goes, so they had to go out and get themselves some insurance.
In free agency this year, they signed Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard to lead the way out of the backfield. Ricard will take on the tacklers that Skattebo was taking head-on. It should free up some running room and spare Skattebo some wear and tear.
Then the Giants signed 232-pound Najee Harris to take early snaps and soften up the defense. That was Skattebo's job. Was.
Skattebo is talking about having a 2,000-yard season. That will happen maybe if he averages 20 yards per carry. His workload will be managed to the point where he might get anywhere from eight to 12 carries per game, max.
With Harris in tow and the team still very much aware that Tyrone Tracy Jr. is their only back with any measurable speed, Skattebo is in a committee situation with the Giants. Let's not leave out Devin Singletary, who is on the roster to provide a quick change-up a half-dozen times a game.
Skattebo may not want to pace himself and change, so the Giants could be quietly doing it for him.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Ex-NFL agent: Giants RB Cam Skattebo's margin for error is shrinking
