When Cam Skattebo opened the 2026 season with 81 rushing yards on 18 carries and a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys, he probably didn’t expect to lose his starting role just a few weeks later. Yet that’s exactly what happened in the New York Giants‘ Week 6 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, as head coach John Harbaugh made the decision to replace him.
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Although Skattebo suited up against New Orleans, he never touched the ball, with his ball-security issues playing a key role in the decision. The second-year back had already committed four fumbles heading into Week 6. However, his reaction to the demotion was just as noteworthy. Following the Saints game, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy addressed the decision and Skattebo’s response.
Per The Athletic’s senior writer Dan Duggan, Nagy noted how “impressive” Skattebo handled his Week 6 demotion and called him a “true pro.” At the same time, Duggan reported that it’s “safe to say Skattebo is out of the doghouse.”
Skattebo’s demotion came after a costly mistake during the Week 5 matchup against the Washington Commanders. The Giants had an opportunity to win in overtime when Skattebo fumbled the ball near Washington’s 24-yard line. The turnover ended New York’s possession and eliminated a potential game-winning field-goal opportunity.
The Giants ultimately escaped with a tie after Washington failed to capitalize on its own late-game opportunity. But that fumble marked Skattebo’s fourth mistake of the season before coach John Harbaugh made a tough decision for his running backs.
Ahead of the Saints game, the Giants have revealed that they will rotate their running backs in the backfield, with Najee Harris starting the game. Still, the running game was far from impressive. New York rushed for 84 net yards, with quarterback JJ McCarthy leading with 26 rushing yards on 2 carries.
Harris, meanwhile, rushed for just 2 yards on 4 attempts, while Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary rushed for 18 yards on 6 carries and 14 yards on four carries, respectively. Cam Skattebo, meanwhile, didn’t get to run the ball throughout the matchup. But following the game, the second-year back acknowledged why the Giants demoted him.
“I got punished for what I did,” said Skattebo after the Giants’ 34-27 loss to the Saints. “I understand it, so I gotta be ready when coach calls my name, and that wasn’t today (Sunday)…I’ve made mistakes, and I got to own up to them. And if that is what they want to do, is keep me on the sidelines because of that, I totally understand. I can’t make mistakes at this level of this game, and when you make mistakes like that, consequences (happen).”
That said, it’s likely for Cam Skattebo to get his starting role back during the Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans, considering the Giants have released Harris after he ranted about the team’s decision to rotate the RBs in the backfield.
Meanwhile, if Skattebo gets snaps against the Texans, that won’t be the only change in the offense. In fact, the Giants are starting with quarterback JJ McCarthy instead of Jameis Winston on Sunday. And ahead of the matchup, Matt Nagy addressed his thoughts on how the offense is looking to operate with McCarthy under center.
“For us, as we go into this and once we knew and know that it’s this direction you got to do what he does best and for us being able to understand we’ve been working for four weeks now trying to get him to learn this whole offense and not just learn packages and that’s been his biggest challenge and so now here we are and he gets an opportunity to be in this spot and so it’s our job now as coaches to make sure that we’re helping him do what he does best and whether that’s in the run game, pass game, pass pro, formation, motion, shifts, simplicity versus difficulty,” said Nagy on McCarthy.
“There’s that balance we’re going into an environment where it’s going to be allowed on the road against the tough defense that likes to play fast, so we got to keep all that in perspective, but at the same time our guys are hungry and ready to go.”
New York signed McCarthy after starting quarterback Jaxson Dart went down with a season-ending injury. McCarthy’s tenure with the Minnesota Vikings ended as the team named Kyler Murray as the starter before Carson Wentz took over following Murray’s injury. McCarthy, meanwhile, struggled to find his footing in Minnesota due to multiple injuries throughout his stint.
But against the Saints, he got the opportunity, as the third-year quarterback completed 11-of-21 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. And now, he is all set to make his first official start for the Giants.