Giants' Cam Skattebo Says He Considered Retiring After Gruesome Season-Ending Injury as Rookie

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo divulged Thursday that he thought about stepping away from football after his rookie season.

When asked by Kay Adams on Up & Adams if he considered retirement after suffering a fractured tibia, ruptured deltoid ligament and dislocated right ankle last season, Skattebo confirmed that he did (beginning at the 1:10 mark of the video) :

"Yeah, definitely," Skattebo said. "I would say probably a month in, like the first month, I was like, 'Damn, do I really wanna do this?' And then, it was seven games. I was like, 'I gotta go back and play.' There's no shot. If it was the end of the year and I was like, 'Okay, I'm over this.' I didn't feel that way at all. ... I think that gave me an extra step of finding that deep place and coming out of a hole that I didn't know I could come out of."

At the start of the video, Skattebo noted that he told himself before he entered the NFL that he would stop playing in the event of a major injury, saying, "Coming out of college, going into the NFL, I think I gave myself one rule. And that was if I ever got a major injury, I was done playing. And that happened seven games into my career, so it kind of sucked. But I think that really helped me find who I am as a player and a person."

Despite his uncertainty about continuing to play after the injury, Skattebo ultimately decided to keep going, and he appears ready for a full workload in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL regular-season against the Dallas Cowboys after playing during the preseason.

After the Giants selected Skattebo in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft out of Arizona State, he began his rookie campaign as a backup.

However, he quickly seized the starting job and proceeded to rush for 308 yards and three touchdowns, while also catching 14 passes for 120 yards and two scores over his five starts.

Skattebo was trending toward being in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation, but his momentum came to a halt in Week 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles when he suffered numerous injuries that ended his season prematurely.

New York overhauled its coaching staff after finishing just 4-13, but it could prove to be a hugely positive development for Skattebo and the Giants' running game as a whole.

New head coach John Harbaugh consistently deployed an elite rushing attack during his time with the Baltimore Ravens, finishing no worse than third in the NFL in rushing in each of the past eight seasons.

Baltimore ranked first in rushing four times during that stretch, including 2024 when the combination of running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson ran rampant.

Skattebo and quarterback Jaxson Dart perhaps have a chance to be a version of that in 2026, particularly if Harbaugh commits to Skattebo as his unquestioned, No. 1 guy in the backfield.

Although Skattebo may have to contend with the likes of Tyrone Tracy Jr., Najee Harris and Devin Singletary for touches, there is no question that Skattebo is the most talented of the bunch, and he has a chance to pick up where he left off before the injury.