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The mother of New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo came to the defense of her son after he made eyebrow-raising comments about CTE and asthma.
The second-year NFL player appeared on a recent podcast and was asked if CTE was a “real thing,” to which he replied, “No.” He also claimed that asthma was an “excuse”. Skattebo later apologized for making a “tasteless joke” about the two disorders.
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Cam Skattebo of the New York Giants is interviewed during Super Bowl LX Radio Row at Moscone Center West on February 6, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
“If only people knew how many times Cam had to ‘run and get Mom’s inhaler,’ they’d realize the sarcasm … you’re never going to make everyone happy, and you’re never going to say all the right things, and people are bound to spin something sooner or later in a direction it was never meant to go,” wrote Becky Skattebo on X.
The Giants player admitted to a “lapse in judgment” when he made those comments.
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New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo is shown warming up before the game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles on October 26, 2025 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“I recently did an interview and had a lapse in judgment which resulted in me making a distasteful joke about CTE and asthma,” he wrote on X. “It was never my intention to downplay the seriousness of head injuries or asthma. I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my remarks and I assure you that I will be mindful and respectful going forward!!!”
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive, degenerative brain disease associated with repeated head impacts rather than a single injury, according to the Mayo Clinic. More than 100 former NFL football players have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE, according to a University of Utah study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
Running back Cam Skattebo during warm-up drills at Giants Rookie Minicamp. (Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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Taxpayers quarterback Jaxson Dart was checked for concussions at least five times during the season and even missed two games after being diagnosed with one. Skattebo was once fined for entering the medical tent while Dart was being assessed.
