EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said Friday on ESPN that Cam Skattebo‘s high-contact running style does not point to a long NFL career, and that he hopes it evolves as the New York Giants running back returns from a dislocated ankle against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13.
Tannenbaum was responding to Skattebo’s comments on FanDuel TV’s Up & Adams a day earlier, when the second-year back said he spent the first month of his rehab asking whether he wanted to keep playing. ESPN replayed that clip during its preview of the Sunday night opener at MetLife Stadium.
Tannenbaum said the worry with players on injured reserve is mental health, and that it starts when the daily weigh-ins and hydration checks stop.
“Pro football is a humbling game,” Tannenbaum said. “He’s only played in eight games. He’s a young player. And you worry sometimes about the mental health of players when they go on IR. We used to reach out and have them do projects for us in the front office.”
“Because players create structure,” Tannenbaum continued. “They want routine. And all of a sudden, you go from being weighed in, hydration every day, to almost being cast aside. So we were very intentional to try to work with players who are on IR. And look, in terms of his style, you just hope it evolves over time so he has longevity. He’s a very talented player, but you go back and you watch him in college and what he did in the NFL, he’s a high-contact, high-collision player. That doesn’t portend to longevity in the NFL.”
Tannenbaum ran the Jets from 2006 through 2012 and was the Miami Dolphins’ executive vice president of football operations from 2015 through 2018. The assignments he gave injured players were tied to the player’s position.
“So, like, for example, if it was a pass rusher, it would be like, hey, here’s five offensive tackles coming out of the draft,” Tannenbaum said. “You go against these guys every day, rank them, and then let’s discuss why. So ways to keep them engaged where they can make a contribution to the organization despite not being on the field.”
Harry Douglas Went Through It In 2009
ESPN analyst Harry Douglas missed the 2009 season with the Atlanta Falcons after tearing his left ACL in training camp, his second year in the league. He said the injury changed how much he valued getting to play at all.
“I’ve been through it. 2009, going into my second season, tore my ACL, MCL, meniscus, and had a bone fracture,” Douglas said. “It’s important, your support system and who you have around you, because they’re going to help you out a lot. If you don’t have that support system, I do believe it’s going to be tougher. But I think within that process, what you understand is your level of appreciation for the game that you get an opportunity to actually play. There came a time for me where I just wanted to go smell the grass because now you’re looking at things from the outside in. You’re not involved in everything that you actually want to do because physically you’re not able to go out there and perform because you’re injured.”
“So I do agree with what Mike T said. Keeping those players engaged,” Douglas added. “When I was injured in 2009, coaches had me in meetings. And then when I was able to travel after a certain period of having my surgery to reconstruct my knee, I was able to travel again with the football team as well. So what Mike T mentioned is very, very important because you don’t want to lose these young guys, especially when they can benefit your football team in multiple ways.”
Cam Skattebo’s Injury And Return
Skattebo dislocated his right ankle in the second quarter at Philadelphia on Oct. 26, an injury that also included an open tibia fracture, a fractured fibula, and a ruptured deltoid ligament. He had emergency surgery that night and was out of a walking boot after eight weeks.
In 8 games as a rookie, he ran 101 times for 410 yards and 5 touchdowns and caught 24 passes for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns. In his final college season at Arizona State in 2024, he ran 293 times for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns and caught 45 passes for 605 yards.
On Aug. 7, Skattebo left a training camp practice after a collision and did not return, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported. He played in the preseason opener against Minnesota on Aug. 15. In August, Giants coach John Harbaugh said Skattebo was not 100% twitchy and explosive yet but was getting there, per Giants On SI.
The Giants list Skattebo as their starting running back for the opener. Kickoff on Sept. 13 is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock.
