Giants' John Harbaugh reacts to concerning Cam Skattebo report

A Wednesday report revealed that second-year New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo got into a bit of a skirmish with defensive backs Jevon Holland and Greg Newsome II when Skattebo "slid down after a reception and came dangerously close to taking out a couple of Giants DBs' legs." 

While Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News later claimed that Skattebo's "act is getting old to his defensive teammates," Connor Hughes of SNY insisted it "wasn't a serious fight" and wasn't "anything really to write home about." 

Per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, Skattebo was ultimately spotted "talking to his teammates in an attempt to smooth things over." Following practice, first-year Giants head coach John Harbaugh addressed the potential controversy. 

John Harbaugh: Cam Skattebo can be "infectious" in both a good and bad way

"Skatt’s great," Harbaugh said. "He does bring a lot of energy. 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 infectious disease type of thing. We don’t want that. So, we want it to be directed in a positive way."

During his rookie season, Skattebo's "infectious" personality made him a favorite among teammates and Giants fans. However, that campaign ended when he suffered a gruesome dislocation of his right ankle on Oct. 26, 2025.

By all accounts, Skattebo is on track to be good to go for the Giants' regular-season opener against the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13. While Harbaugh likely wouldn't mind if Skattebo antagonizes Dallas players during that "Sunday Night Football" matchup, the coach understandably doesn't want any of his players committing 15-yard penalties. 

Giants player pours cold water over possible Cam Skattebo controversy

On Wednesday, Giants offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor took to X and ripped Leonard for creating "a BS Narrative" regarding the Skattebo story. Fights among teammates are common during the final days of training camp, when everybody involved just wants to get to the regular season, but the Skattebo situation could be something to monitor over the next several months.