Cam Skattebo sent New York Giants fans into a tizzy over the weekend when he attempted – and failed to land – a backflip during a WWE event at Fanatics Fest.
Skattebo was unharmed after his botched flip, but many wondered exactly how Giants coach John Harbaugh would react to the running back’s maneuver. The 24-year-old is recovering from an open ankle dislocation, a fibula fracture and a deltoid ligament rupture in his right leg that prematurely ended his rookie season.
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That question was answered during Harbaugh’s recent appearance on the Bleav in Giants podcast, when co-host Bob Papa asked for his thoughts on Skattebo’s flip. The 63-year-old noted he hadn’t yet spoken to his star running back but didn’t seem overly concerned about the flip.
“My reaction was this: Dude, at least stick it. You know what I mean? Land the thing if you’re going to do it, you know?” Harbaugh said, with a chuckle. “That was my first reaction.”
“But Skat’s going to be ready to go,” Harbaugh added, referring to the running back by a nickname. “He’s been working super hard. He has really been training like crazy, and his mind is on camp. He’s healthy, he’s ready to roll and I can’t wait to see him out there at practice.”
Harbaugh’s message echoed what Skattebo told fans at an ensuing event during Fanatics Fest, where he downplayed the flip and indicated he would be ready to start the 2026 NFL season.
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“I’m gonna address the elephant: I will not hurt myself before the season,” he said, before explaining what went wrong on the backflip. “When I took off, I was mid-air like, ‘holy cow, I’m not gonna land this, I’m way too high,'” he said. “Landed, but it had too much cushion. It wasn’t a stiff, firm ground. …
“Nothing came out from that, I’m perfectly fine. Nothing happened. We’re good.”
The Giants are hoping that will remain the case as the 2025 fourth-round pick prepares for his second season. The 5-11, 215-pound back showed off his bruising running style as a rookie, generating 410 yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries while adding an impressive 24 catches for 207 yards and two scores through the air.
The Giants went 2-3 in the five games Skattebo started and 2-10 when he didn’t. So, suffice it to say it will be important for the team to keep the Arizona State product on the field in 2026, especially considering the Baltimore Ravens were often a run-heavy team under Harbaugh’s stewardship.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Harbaugh reacts to Skattebo’s botched backflip: ‘Dude, at least stick it’
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