The New York Giants have a sleeping giant in their backfield, according to first-year head coach John Harbaugh.
Harbaugh lauded budding second-year running Cam Skattebo for his tenacious running style and fearlessness after the Giants‘ second mandatory-minicamp practice Tuesday in East Rutherford.
Skattebo, of course, is coming off a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle that limited him to just eight games in his rookie season. But Skattebo returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since sustaining the catastrophic injury against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 26.
John Harbaugh Lauded Cam Skattebo
GettyCam Skattebo of the New York Giants celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 26, 2025 in Philadelphia.
Giants fans have had favorites through the years, especially on offense. They tend to be hard-nosed and gritty who lean into contact rather than shying away.
Mark Bavaro, Jeremy Shockey and Odell Beckham Jr. are some of the beloved formers who endeared themselves. Skattebo looked like the most recent edition, assuming he can stay healthy, and Harbaugh liked what he saw in Skattebo’s first official day back at practice.
“He’s a downhill runner, a tone-setter-type runner,” Harbaugh said when asked to describe Skattebo. “He’s a tough tackle, and that’s what you look for.
“He’s a top-tier back, and he’s planning on playing that way this year.”
Skattebo wrested the starting running back position from incumbents Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary. He rushed for 410 yards on 101 carries and finished with 617 all-purpose yards and seven touchdowns, showing the tenacious style he displayed that made him a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft from Arizona State.
“How many guys can make yards when they aren’t supposed to make yards on their own?” Harbaugh said. “He was that kind of guy at Arizona State. He’s the exact same guy I saw on tape last year.”
Cam Skattebo is Back
GettyCam Skattebo of the New York Giants is carted off the field during the second quarter in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 26, 2025 in Philadelphia.
Giants fans have been waiting eight months for No. 44 to return to the field. They got their wish Tuesday.
Skattebo has been talking about his return since sustaining the injury at Lincoln Financial Field. But after 226 days, he was back in action as a full participant, less than two months before training camp opens in West Virginia.
There may still be pain and soreness, and the Giants will certainly be careful with overdoing Skattebo since they want him to stay on the field. Plus, his style is likely to get him injured again — considering what his roommate and fellow bash brother Jaxson Dart went through in 2025.
But the Giants’ offense hummed with Dart and Skattebo together. The Giants averaged more than 24 points per game in those started by the rookie QB and rookie RB and went 2-2 in the games where they both started and finished — including an upset win over the Eagles and their near-upset victory on the road against the Denver Broncos.
Skattebo is yet another step in an exciting offseason for the Giants.
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