On Sunday, the New York Giants fell to 3-2-1 as they lost 34-27 against the New Orleans Saints.
Prior to the game, reports surfaced that running back Cam Skattebo would have his role reduced after he lost a costly fumble in the team’s Week 5 game against the Washington Commanders.
That turned out to be accurate as Skattebo did not have a single carry during the team’s loss. While he did play limited snaps, it marked the first game this season that Skattebo did not register a carry. Instead, the Giants went with a committee of running backs as Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Singletary and Najee Harris combined for 14 carries.
New York’s alternatives to Skattebo did not prove effective as the Giants’ leading rusher during the team’s Week 6 game was quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who entered the game in the fourth quarter as he replaced Jameis Winston.
After the game, Skattebo shared his reaction to his demotion.
New York Giants Running Back Cam Skattebo Shares Blunt Message After Totaling Zero Carries
Following the Week 6 loss, New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo told The Athletic’s Charlotte Carroll: “I got punished for what I did (from last week). I understand it so I gotta be ready when coach calls my name and that wasn’t today. It’s hard, but I’ve made mistakes, and I got to own up to them.”
Skattebo added of New York’s run game: “It’s hard to continue to run the ball when you’re down 14, 24 points, whatever it was.”
Despite Skattebo’s comments about being punished, Giants head coach John Harbaugh refused to call it a benching.
Ari Meirov posted on X: “A fired-up #Giants HC John Harbaugh says RB Cam Skattebo wasn’t benched and getting 0 carries wasn’t by design. He says no one has stepped up in the RB room, and he’s trying to figure out who “the guy” is. When pressed on the topic: “I don’t know what else to say. That’s the best answer you can ever get on that in 1,000 years. There’s not a coach in the world that will give you a better answer than that. If you’re not thrilled with that answer, I got nothing else for you, honestly.”
New York Giants’ Run Game
After averaging 4.1 yards per carry in eight games during his rookie season, Skattebo has averaged only 3.6 yards per carry in 2026. He has not had a run go for more than 20 yards this season. Paired with his issues with fumbles this season, it is clear why the Giants decided to give an opportunity to the team’s other running backs.
Harbaugh had previously declined to say whether the team would move away from Skattebo due to his fumbling issues. New York’s head coach stated that there was a point when the team would stop giving the ball to a running back if fumbling issues persisted. When asked whether Skattebo had reached that point, Harbaugh said, “We’ll see. We’ll find out.”
Whether Skattebo’s reduced role was a one-time occurrence or a continued demotion remains to be seen.
Giants RB Cam Skattebo Shares Blunt Message After Benching