Last season, Cam Skattebo looked like one of the NFL’s most productive rookie running backs through seven weeks. However, his breakout campaign ended brutally in Week 8. He suffered a dislocated ankle, fractures in both the tibia and fibula, and a torn deltoid ligament in the same play.
Fortunately, Skattebo has made encouraging progress since the devastating setback. And he currently appears on track to return for the start of the season. Still, PFN analyst Ian Cummings believes questions remain about whether he can fully regain his form.
Ian Cummings Questions Cam Skattebo’s Health Going Into the New Season
On Pro Football Network’s “The Hot List,” Cummings named five players to avoid in Fantasy Football in 2026, with Skattebo sitting at No. 1. He pointed to both his limited production and the uncertainty surrounding his recovery.
“Ultimately, there are a lot of uncertainty elements that prevent me from being bullish on Skattebo,” Cummings said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how he comes back from that in real-life action, regular-season NFL play… we talked about the lower leg injury. But to put it frankly, Skattebo’s self-preservation skills are fairly poor. This is a running back who is very willing to duck his head into contact to pile drive through crowds at the second level.”
“Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great quality for [a] running back to have,” he continued. “You want them to be physical, but also you [are] worried that the injury risk is a little bit higher with a player like Skattebo, who doesn’t even have the high-end volume upside on his side at the same time, too. So, Skattebo ultimately, there are too many factors working against him.”
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Skattebo finished his rookie season with 410 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries. He also caught 24 passes for 207 yards and two scores across eight games.
According to PFN’s Running Back Impact Metric, he ranked 40th among running backs with a 70.9 impact score.
As a fourth-round pick for the Giants, few expected Skattebo to become a key piece so quickly. However, his three-touchdown explosion against the Philadelphia Eagles changed that immediately. From there, he became a major part of the offense.
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However, due to injuries, Skattebo reveals he was also considering retirement.
“Coming out of college, going in the NFL, I think I gave myself one rule, and it was if I ever got a major injury, I was done playing,” Skattebo said. “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 as a person, you know, I was able to sit at home for 14 hours a day, do absolutely nothing for weeks on end.”
“The first month was kind of like, ‘Damn, do I really want to do this?,’” Skattebo added. “Then, you know, it was seven games. I was like, ‘You know, I got to go back and play, there’s no shot.’ I did feel that way, not having the injury, not learning about myself. But I think that gave me an extra step of finding that deep place and, you know, coming out of a hole that I didn’t know I could come out of.”
With John Harbaugh now at the helm and Matt Nagy directing the offense, Skattebo enters the season as the clear RB1, ahead of Najee Harris, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary. His high-energy style has made him a fan favorite and one of the roster’s most exciting players, the kind of physical presence Harbaugh wants to see from his team.
So, the Giants fans will hope his ankle holds up across a full 17-game season.
