Cam Skattebo was listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury on the Giants' final injury report, leaving his status for Week 9 hanging over a backfield that was already short-handed. The Giants returned from the bye week to face the Eagles in Philadelphia, and the question now is whether Skattebo can go or whether the team must lean on what is left of its running back room.
The injury report gave the clearest answer available on Friday: the Giants had only two players with game designations, and Skattebo was one of them. Charlie Jones was the other, listed as questionable with a hand injury. For a team that had already lost Tyrone Tracy Jr. to injured reserve, the report made the running back situation more than a simple depth chart issue. Tracy injured his hamstring in the second quarter of the victory in Houston, and the Giants will play at least the next four games without him.
That is why Skattebo's listing matters now. He had been pushing to play, but doubtful is still doubtful, and the final report did not give the Giants anything firmer to work with before the Week 9 matchup. To cover the shortage, the team signed Gregory Desrosiers off the Chargers' practice squad, elevated Phil Mafah for Sunday's game and elevated Dawuane Smoot for Sunday's game, while also adding Jake Haener back to the practice squad after waiving him earlier in the week.
The Giants have not said Skattebo will be active, and that uncertainty is the edge in the story. If he cannot answer the call, the Giants will have to piece together carries around a roster that already absorbed one major loss and does not have much margin left. If he does play, it would come only after a week in which the team kept its options open all the way to the final report.
