Eli Manning has found a new comparison for Cam Skattebo, and it is a familiar one for Jeremy Shockey. On Colin Cowherd’s podcast this week, Manning said Skattebo reminds him of Shockey because both were “a little off,” but in a way that let them channel their intensity and competitive edge into production for the New York Giants.
The point landed because Skattebo did more than talk about energy last Sunday. He rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, scoring in the first quarter to give the Giants a 7-0 lead. It was the second-most rushing yards of his career, behind only the 98 he posted in an October 2025 victory over the Eagles, and it came while Jaxson Dart was the only other Giants player with at least seven carries.
Manning’s view was not that Skattebo and Shockey played recklessly. He described both as players who understood how to use their intensity the right way, the kind who make defenders work until the fourth quarter when the contact starts to wear thin. In Manning’s telling, when Skattebo keeps running through contact or refuses to let up late, opponents get tired of hitting him and realize they have to bring everything to slow him down.
That is why the comparison matters now. Skattebo has drawn criticism for immaturity and for the backlash around his personality, yet Manning is framing those same traits as part of the value. The running back has essentially become the Giants’ top option in the backfield, and his 81-yard outing last Sunday only sharpened the argument that his edge is not a side issue. It is the reason he keeps getting the ball.
What Manning did not settle was how Shockey himself took the comparison, if he took it at all. For now, the link stands as a former Giants star saying Skattebo looks like another former Giants star because both made their personalities into a tool, not a distraction. That is a flattering answer for Skattebo, and a reminder that the next test is whether he keeps backing it up every Sunday.
