The controversial topic of CTE resurfaced when New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo recently joked about it. The polarizing subject has fueled debates for the past few decades, making it a sensitive topic in the NFL. As a result, Skattebo’s joke wasn’t well received by many people around the league.
What did Emmanuel Acho say about it?
Emmanuel Acho Slams Cam Skattebo’s ‘Dangerous Joke’ About CTE
Skattebo went viral for joking about how health conditions like CTE and asthma are merely “excuses” that people use. While he had his supporters, his detractors came in equal measure, bashing him for being insensitive and lacking insight into the topic.
Acho, who played linebacker in the NFL for two years, was among the opposing voices who slammed Skattebo, given the circumstances.
“My first podcast I was doing, straight out the league, I interviewed Keana Strzelczyk, and her husband, former Steelers offensive lineman, drove the wrong way down the New York State Thruway, 90 miles per hour into a tank truck, head-on — later diagnosed with CTE,” Acho recalled on “Speakeasy.” “That’s not something that you joke with. That’s not something that you play with. That’s not something that you play about.”
“[CTE] is not something you joke with, play with, or play about… [Cam] Skattebo, YOUUU shouldn’t be making that joke”
– @EmmanuelAcho weighs in on the recent viral video of Cam Skattebo saying CTE and asthma are “excuses”
WE ARE STILL LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/f4H3dQB55c pic.twitter.com/poVRz8f3An
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) March 23, 2026
Skattebo made a podcast appearance where he made the controversial joke, saying CTE is an excuse and asthma isn’t real.
“No, CTE is an excuse… Asthma’s fake,” he said.
“You knew what you were doing because it was a beautiful edit in the Instagram reel — sound effects and everything,” Acho criticized the running back. “So to me, even when I see it on social media, ‘Oh, he must have CTE,’ that is just something to me that you don’t play with, particularly you, Cam Skattebo, because you play the type of game that scientists would suggest [causes] CTE based on the contact after contact.”
Skattebo didn’t waste time making a name for himself in his rookie season as a bruiser of a running back. His style, unlike that of legends like Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith, resembles that of pure power backs like Peyton Hillis and Marshawn Lynch.
His electric early performances got Giants fans excited. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury, limiting him to only eight games. He finsihed the season with a PFSN RB Impact metric score of 57.3, which is an F.
As such, his play style puts him at a greater risk of developing CTE. Hillis’ early retirement was notably forced by a history of concussions.
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“If anyone shouldn’t be making a joke, you, Skattebo, shouldn’t be making a joke,” Acho concluded. “It’s not even a tasteless joke, it’s a detrimental joke… a dangerous joke.”
The Giants running back has since apologized for his comments, calling it “a lapse in judgment.”
