New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo did not file Jaxson Dart’s injury under ordinary roster news. He filed it under friendship.
The two talked on the sideline after Dart went down on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams. The exchange was brief. It was not light.
“It sucked,” Skattebo told reporters on Wednesday. “I talked to him on the sidelines a little bit, and he’s my best friend. So, it’s a little emotional for me. It sucked to lose him, but we got to move on. The team has still got a full season left. We’ve got 15 games minimum left, and it’s something we have to battle through and continue to work together as a team. We have Jameis’ back. He’s going to go out there and perform and dominate the game. And I’m fully behind that.”
That is the split the Giants are living with this week. The first half is personal. The second half is the calendar. Jameis Winston is the quarterback now. Skattebo said the players who showed up afterward bought in and worked.
The timing is what makes the hole look larger than one starter. Skattebo, Malik Nabers and Dart have shared 43 snaps. Skattebo missed last season. Dart is out this one. The core that was supposed to grow in real time has barely been on the field together.
“The good thing is it’s only year two and three,” Skattebo said. “I got hurt last year. I didn’t get to play with the guys, and then he gets hurt this year. It sucks. It does suck. But the bright side is we have a long future ahead of us, and with Malik being in year three, I’m in year two, Jaxson in year two, I mean, we have a lot of football ahead of us.”
Dart has already been back in the building the last two days. Skattebo expects him there the day after surgery. Last year, when the injury was his, staying close to the team was the difference between working through it and disappearing into a worse headspace.
“Like Coach Harbs kind of says, it feels like the world’s over when you get hurt,” Skattebo said. “But there’s another day to live on.”
He has no doubt Dart already knows that. He has been through it. He is strong-minded. Isolation is the mistake Skattebo does not expect him to make.
“I know he’s going to want to be in this building the day after surgery,” Skattebo said. “I’m super excited for him to be in this building because he’s going to bring that light of mine, keep guys going and keep pushing.”
Last year, the Giants kept working without Skattebo. This year they will keep working without Dart. Dart, he said, will be here every day trying to put Winston and the rest of the roster in a better spot. The only job left is to fill what they lost and keep going.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Cam Skattebo had 'emotional' reaction to Jaxson Dart injury
