Giants' Cam Skattebo makes admission about playing style following gruesome injury

Back in June, second-year New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo suggested that he won't change his playing style coming off the gruesome dislocation of his right ankle that he suffered on Oct. 26, 2025.

While speaking with reporters on Monday, Skattebo sang somewhat of a different tune regarding what he may and may not do during games this coming season.

Cam Skattebo may run "around people" more during games this fall

"People know I'm crazy," Skattebo acknowledged, per the Giants' website. "I like to run through people instead of run around them. Hopefully you'll see more running around people this year. I don't really care what people think. If they think I'm not as good of a running back, they've still got to play me that week. So, whether they think that or not, then I guess we'll see that week."

Skattebo's personality and his willingness to dish out physical punishment to opponents during games made him a favorite among fans and teammates during his rookie season until he went down with his injury. That said, questions about what he will and won't be coming off the type of setback that can shorten a career have hovered over the Giants since last fall. 

In the Giants' 13-10 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 15, Skattebo recorded four carries for 19 yards. The fact that he played in that game would lead one to believe he is on track to take the field for New York's regular-season opener against the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13. 

"When I went out there on Saturday, I had no feeling or any recollection of injury in my brain," Skattebo said about playing against the Vikings, as shared by Zach Braziller of the New York Post. "I was ready to go play football, and adrenaline gets going, so everything kind of goes away, and you’re just ready to touch the ball and go play ball."

Do Giants want Cam Skattebo to avoid "running through" people during the upcoming season? 

As a follow-up question, Skattebo was asked on Monday if first-year Giants head coach John Harbaugh has emphasized that the ball-carrier should be better about "running around people instead of through" them during future games. 

"I think Coach Harbs loves that I run right over the top of people," Skattebo responded. "Physicality is his No. 1 thing, and it gets the [offensive] line going even more. So, obviously, as I came back from injury, I’m learning how to take less hits and try to maneuver better around people instead of through them and realizing that I could have got four more yards if I would have just taken a step to the left. I think those are things that I’m just going to continue to add to my game and add to my bag of tools that I can pull from to make sure that I stay healthy and I stay successful."

In short, it sounds like Skattebo and second-year Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart are still learning when it's better to avoid contact with an opponent during a game. Whether or not they master that skill could determine what the Giants are able to accomplish under Harbaugh through January 2027.