Perhaps in another universe, Jonathan Taylor played his first game in a Giants uniform on Thursday night.
New York was reportedly in the market for a running back at Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline; according to Jay Glazer, at one point, the Giants had an offer of a 2nd- and 5th-round pick on the table to land Taylor from the Colts. But a deal never came together, and John Harbaugh didn’t add to his backfield at all.
Instead, the Giants opted to continue giving second-year back Cam Skattebo the starting snaps despite his rocky 2026 season so far. And despite a 24-21 loss to the Commanders on Thursday night, New York’s running back decision looked validated, as Skattebo had one of the best performances of his young career.
Here’s why Skattebo proved the Giants made the right NFL trade deadline decision by opting not to trade for a running back.
MORE: Cam Skattebo arrives to “TNF” wearing Giants-themed Iron Man mask
How Cam Skattebo proved Giants made right NFL trade deadline decision
It’s been an up-and-down season for Skattebo and Giants running backs. After an 81-yard outing in Week 1, by the time Week 6 came around, Skattebo was benched by Harbaugh for fumbling issues, while Tyrone Tracy, Najee Harris and Devin Singletary all got more reps to varying success. Eventually, Harris was released.
In Week 7, Skattebo did bounce back with 124 rushing yards against the Texans, but the Giants were still considered in the mix for a running back addition at the deadline as they gear up for a run at the NFC East crown. Taylor would have been the big fish, but Titans running back Tony Pollard was considered another top option.
However, nothing ever materialized by Tuesday’s deadline, leaving Skattebo to retain his RB1 job. And he seemed to prove the Giants’ decision right in his first game since.
Despite the loss, Skattebo was the engine of New York’s offense, running for 78 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, with an additional three catches for 44 yards through the air. It marked Skattebo’s first multi-touchdown game since October 2025.
SKATTEBO. PAYDIRT. BACKFLIPS FOR ALL. WASvsNYG on Prime Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/vm1ZAfZxDd
— NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2026
From backflips to stare-downs with cameras, Skattebo had plenty of fun during his big night.
Cam Skattebo has every Giants player flipping out https://t.co/JLvgeDjxE3
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 13, 2026
Cam Skattebo sees the cameras https://t.co/6sbzXDHaD4
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) November 13, 2026
It was an encouraging sign for New York’s rushing attack moving forward. There’s still plenty of work for the Giants to do if they’re going to win the NFC East this season, despite Philadelphia falling out of the race at 2-7. With the Commanders’ win, they improved to 3-5-1, trailing New York by two games and Dallas by one.
Time will tell if Skattebo has turned a corner for the Giants, but on Thursday night, he looked like a top NFL running back — something New York may have found internally, rather than through a deadline deal.
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