Cam Skattebo did a backflip at Brian Burns's charity softball game a couple of weekends ago — and a few weeks later he was doing something more consequential: getting his first reps in 11-on-11 drills for the New York Giants this spring, about eight months after ankle surgery.
The moment matters because it was Skattebo's first full work with group and team on the field since the procedure that followed a season-ending ankle injury. He warmed up through agility drills on the first day of camp and then, on Day 2, caught a screen pass during the 11-on-11 period, the tangible evidence coaches and teammates had wanted to see.
“I was happy,” John Harbaugh said on Monday, summing up the coaching staff’s reaction. Harbaugh added that Skattebo had been pushing for involvement: “He was telling me that he was going to get some plays in group and team (drills). He's worked super hard, super hard. I did mention maybe no back flips out here today. We agreed.”
That exchange captures both the lighter side of the return and what it signals: a running back who has spent months on the mend and who is now testing contact and timing with the offense. Skattebo’s screen catch on Day 2 was not a highlight-reel burst, but it is the kind of play that shows a player is moving through reads, releases and blocking structure in real time.
Teammates and coaches noticed more than his on-field snaps. Harbaugh offered a short character portrait: “Man, just a really good-hearted guy.” He also pointed out that Skattebo stayed sharp mentally, raising a question during a special teams meeting even though he is not part of the punt unit — a small detail that underlined how Skattebo has remained engaged while rehabbing.
The friction in Skattebo’s return is obvious. He has been coming back from a season ankle injury that required surgery, yet he was recently athletic enough to flip off a charity diamond and then immediately rejoin structured team work. That contrast — showy athleticism in public settings and the steady, cautious progression required in contact drills — is where recovery narratives often break or resolve.
Skattebo is a second-year running back whose availability had been limited by the fractured ankle; the timing of these spring reps suggests the injury is no longer a day-to-day barrier to practicing with the offense. Still, the team has not announced when Skattebo will be cleared for game action, and coaches will be watching how his snaps progress from controlled screens and group reps to the heavier contact of full-team periods.
For now, the useful takeaways are plain: he returned to 11-on-11 work about eight months after surgery, he completed warm-up agility work on the first day, and he showed play readiness by catching a screen on Day 2. Those steps matter to a roster managing depth at running back and to a player rebuilding trust in an injured ankle.
The next, unanswered question is the one everyone will track — when Skattebo will be declared available for games. The staff has acknowledged his effort and engagement; they have not set a timetable. His progress in the coming practices, and how his body responds as contact increases, will determine whether those backflips stay a footnote or become a sign of a roster boost the Giants can count on this season.
