New York Giants second-year running back Cam Skattebo electrified the crowd at the team’s annual Town Hall at the Beacon Theater on Monday night when he declared that he would be ready for the upcoming season.
“Obviously, there’s ups and downs in the injury process and coming back and rehabbing, but the mental battle has been the hardest part: Making sure that I trust it fully,” Skattebo said. “I’m a little ways out. Not too far, but I’ll be ready to go. Week 1, I’ll be ready to go.”
Skattebo has been rehabbing from the serious ankle injury he suffered in Week 8 of last season, and although he’s been very visible to Giant fans over the past eight months, being ready to return to full duty on the football field is still very much up in the air.
Skattebo’s injury was more than your garden-variety ankle issue, which was a dislocation. He also suffered a fractured right fibula and a ruptured deltoid ligament. His rehab was expected to be a long one, eight to 10 months, which means he could be ready for September.
But will he? Right now, he’s at the jogging stage. The Giants don’t open training camp until late July, over two months from now. Knowing the personality of the young man, he shouldn’t be doubted, but the will may be stronger than the flesh.
“When he says, ‘I’m a little ways out,’ that makes me think it’ll be dicey for Week 1,” Chris Simms of Pro Football Talk said this week. “And I don’t think he’s going to be 100 percent himself during week one.”
And when Skattebo does come back, don’t expect the training wheels to be on. He only knows one speed.
“He runs hard as hell. He can make people miss. He’s got more speed than people gave him credit for,” Simms said. “He kind of lights up that stadium when he does get the ball there at MetLife.”
Last year, the fourth-round pick out of Arizona State rushed for 410 yards and five touchdowns and added 24 receptions for 207 yards and two more touchdowns. He gave the Giants’ dormant offense a much-needed shot in the arm in the eight games he appeared in.
This year, Skattebo has his sights set on complete NFL stardom. He’s planning on having a monster season.
“I do not consider that successful for me,” Skattebo said of his rookie season. “I had 400 yards on 100 carries. When I play 17-plus games this year, it’s going to be 300 carries for over 2,000 yards.”
Skattebo’s goals may not be as realistic as he believes. Even if fully healthy, he won’t be the Giants’ only option out of the backfield this year. He’s still in a timeshare with Tyrone Tracy Jr., and the Giants also have Devin Singletary on the roster. Throw in rookie Damon Bankston to the mix as well.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Chris Simms has concerns about Giants RB Cam Skattebo’s Week 1 availability
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
