Cam Skattebo is a rookie running back on the New York Giants. He is also, apparently, already testing the patience of head coach John Harbaugh.
Sideline video from Friday’s preseason game against the Jets showed Skattebo mouthing something at Harbaugh before walking away. Harbaugh turned around with a visible smirk. Fans watching in slow motion decided the smirk was the “I am done with this kid” variety, and the clip has been circulating ever since.
Context helps here. Skattebo wanted the Giants offense to keep pushing for 30 points late in a game they were leading 23-6. The staff decided to kneel it out. Skattebo let his opinion be known. Harbaugh let his own reaction be known back.
This is the second Harbaugh-Skattebo moment of the summer. Earlier in camp, Harbaugh described some of Skattebo’s actions as “infectious in a bad way” after the rookie was involved in multiple practice fights. Skattebo has quickly become the guy in the Giants building whom teammates love and coaches keep having to manage.
The tension is a preview of the season. Skattebo plays with an edge that made him a Heisman finalist at Arizona State. That same edge does not always translate to an NFL locker room where veterans expect rookies to sit down and take notes.
Harbaugh is not the coach for that fight. He built his career on a Baltimore roster full of alpha personalities. He is used to strong-willed players. He is also used to making sure those players listen when he tells them to.
The Giants signed Skattebo to be a versatile weapon in the run game and screen game. He can catch. He can pass block. He is a nightmare in short-yardage. All of that has shown up in camp. All of it will matter when the season starts against Washington.
What will not matter is whether Harbaugh smirks at him on the sideline. What will matter is whether Skattebo gets 15 touches a game and produces. If he does, the noise around his personality goes away. If he does not, every camera angle is going to become a story.
Rookies get one preseason to build their reputation with a head coach. Skattebo is closing his with a video of Harbaugh looking like a parent who has heard enough. That is not the way to go into Week 1.
Harbaugh is not going to say much publicly. That is his style. He handles internal issues internally. What he does do is quietly work the rotation. If Skattebo wants his snaps, he needs to earn them Monday through Saturday and celebrate them Sunday.
The Giants have real weapons on offense. Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Odell Beckham Jr., and now Skattebo. That is a room that can be dangerous or dysfunctional. Harbaugh will get to decide which one it becomes.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
