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Cam Skattebo Speaks Out After Botched Backflip on Surgically Repaired Leg Sends Panic Through Giants Fans

A man seated holding a microphone at an event

Cam Skattebo speaks on stage during Fanatics Fest NYC 2026.

Cam Skattebo reassured fans he is uninjured after an awkward backflip flub at Fanatics Fest sparked concerns

The Giants running back blamed the bouncy WWE runway for his unstable landing during the stunt

Skattebo is recovering from a severe 2025 ankle injury that ended his rookie NFL season early

New York Giants fans are flipping out.

Cam Skattebo addressed concerns from worried fans after he awkwardly fumbled one of his signature backflips during Fanatics Fest on Saturday, July 18, following his brutal season-ending ankle injury sustained in October.

“I’m gonna address the elephant. I will not hurt myself before the season,” the Giants running back, 24, said on a panel at the Michael Rubin-hosted event alongside his quarterback, Jaxson Dart, at a Fanatics Fest appearance on Sunday, July 19.

A group of four individuals seated on a stage during an event at Fanatics Fest NYC engaging in a discussion

A group of four individuals seated on a stage during an event at Fanatics Fest NYC engaging in a discussion

The day prior, Skattebo stepped onto the Fanatics Fest stage, lifted up his pant leg to show off the massive scar on his right leg and then launched into a backflip in front of the crowd. However, his landing wasn’t stable and he awkwardly fell to the ground.

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“I was like, ‘That’s the most explosive I’ve ever seen Skatt.’ He over-rotated,” Dart, 23, said of his teammate, who would frequently do backflips at Giants games throughout his rookie season.

Skattebo cited the “bouncy” floor — a WWE runway that Fanatics set up for athletes to get a wrestling-style entrance — as the reason for his stumble.

Jaxson Dart #6 and Cam Skattebo #44

Jaxson Dart #6 and Cam Skattebo #44

“So when I took off, I was mid-air like, ‘Holy cow. I’m not going to land this. I’m way too high.’ [I] landed, but it had too much cushion. It wasn’t a stiff, firm ground. That’s why I kind of went back, safely landed, got back up and was good to go,” he explained.

“Nothing came out from that,” he reassured. “I’m perfectly fine. Nothing happened. We’re good.”

Skattebo, who’s entering his second season with the Giants, suffered the ankle injury during his team’s Oct. 26 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. His leg was pinned beneath him when he was tackled by Eagles linebacker Zack Baun.

Cam Skattebo #44 of the New York Giants celebrates a two-point conversion against the Los Angeles Chargers during the third quarter in the game at MetLife Stadium on September 28, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey

Cam Skattebo #44 of the New York Giants celebrates a two-point conversion against the Los Angeles Chargers during the third quarter in the game at MetLife Stadium on September 28, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey

The harrowing injury forced the rookie to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 NFL season with a dislocated and fractured ankle, according to the league. Skattebo underwent emergency surgery to repair the injury, which included a ruptured deltoid ligament and a fractured fibula.

Seven months after the Giants’ star running back sustained the leg injury, he did a backflip while crossing home plate during a celebrity softball game on Sunday, May 31.

Social media video of the moment, shared by Giants reporter Charlotte Carroll, shows the 24-year-old NFL star stops in his tracks before crossing the plate and launching into a lofty backflip, then holding his arms out and shaking his head proudly.

“One pitch. A home run for Cam Skattebo,” Carroll wrote at the time. “Oh and a signature back flip.”

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