Anthony Rivardo
Cam Skattebo took live handoffs in an 11-on-11 period on the second day of mandatory minicamp, less than eight months after a dislocated ankle ended his rookie season. For a player who was carted off in October, that rep was the most encouraging Giants update of the spring.
Skattebo did individual and conditioning work on Monday, then graduated to team drills on Tuesday, a progression that put him at or near full health. He told reporters in mid-May he expects to be ready for Week 1, and nothing about his minicamp workload contradicted that.
The injury was uglier than the timeline now suggests
Skattebo suffered a dislocated right ankle and a fractured fibula against the Eagles on October 26, 2025, an injury that required surgery and shut down his rookie year. The team described the procedure as a success at the time. Recovering to full-speed team reps inside of eight months is the version of this comeback the Giants needed and were not guaranteed.
The injury also forced a mid-season reshuffle, with Tyrone Tracy Jr. stepping back into the starting role once Skattebo went down. That backfield arrangement is now the central question of the position group heading into the summer.
What the Giants were missing on the ground
Before the injury, Skattebo was producing like a back the offense could lean on. He ran 101 times for 410 yards and five touchdowns in just eight games, a 4.1 yards-per-carry clip that, projected across a full season, lands north of 800 rushing yards and double-digit scores.
| Cam Skattebo, 2025 rookie year | Total (8 games) | 16-game pace |
|---|---|---|
| Carries | 101 | 202 |
| Rushing yards | 410 | 820 |
| Rushing TDs | 5 | 10 |
The pace is a projection, not a promise. The point is the role. A new staff inherits a back who was already handling a starter’s volume and finishing runs near the goal line before the injury cut the sample short.
A new staff that fits his game
The backfield now answers to a coaching room built around physical football. John Harbaugh runs the program, Matt Nagy calls the offense, and Willie Taggart coaches the running backs, a group whose history leans on a downhill, gap-scheme run game. Harbaugh has spoken highly of Skattebo’s makeup this offseason, and the back’s bruising style fits the identity this staff is trying to build.
Tracy is still on the roster and has earned trust as the fill-in starter, so the reps will be earned, not handed out. But a healthy Skattebo gives the Giants a between-the-tackles runner who can set a tone, and minicamp confirmed the most important part. He is back on the field, taking handoffs, on schedule.
More about:New York Giants
