Giants rookie running back Skattebo has surgery after dislocating ankle vs. Eagles

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jaxson Dart rushed toward Cam Skattebo as the standout running back was about to get carted off the field with an ugly-looking ankle injury and gave his Giants teammate a little headbutt. The signature smack bonded the two rookies, and Dart wasn't about to let the moment pass — especially because it could be their last in a while. Skattebo suffered a dislocated right ankle that could cost him the rest of the season early in the Giants' 38-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. "That's my boy, man," Dart said. "That sucks. It's just the worst part of the game." Coach Brian Daboll said Monday that Skattebo underwent surgery on Sunday night at a Philadelphia-area hospital but declined to reveal anything else about the nature of the injury and its repair. "All went well," Daboll said, adding he texted with Skattebo on Sunday night and even got a message from him Monday morning just after 4 a.m. "He's recovering. Obviously, he'll be missed but on the road to recovery. ... He's got a road ahead of him." Skattebo was taken to the hospital after he took a hard hit over the middle on a pass attempt in the second quarter. He went down and immediately smacked his helmet in pain. Skattebo's foot appeared to be bent in an unnatural direction as both Giants and Eagles players huddled around him until he could be helped off the field. The 23-year-old Skattebo, a fourth-round pick out of Arizona State in the 2025 draft, had an air cast on his lower right leg when he was driven off the field. He raised his right arm in appreciation of the ovation from the Eagles crowd. "I feel absolutely terrible for the young man," Daboll said after the game. "Looked bad. You feel for anybody that goes down and has a really bad injury. I know the players feel the same way about Skatt." Skattebo was New York's leading rusher this season after Tyrone Tracy Jr. suffered an early season injury. Skattebo had three rushing touchdowns against the Eagles earlier this month and caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Dart early in Sunday's game. "Hopefully it's one of those things like a clean break that's lot easier to recover from," Giants offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor said. Giants players were distraught at the gruesome sight of Skattebo's ankle bent the other way, and many turned away from the scene. Dart shouted in anger before he took a knee and buried his head in his hand. "With him being carted off, it's emotional," Dart said. "You just try and go back to the huddle and try to just reload." The Giants fell to 2-6 — a week after they became the first NFL team in more than two decades to blow an 18-point lead or bigger in the final six minutes and lose, as they did at Denver — but the play of Dart and Skattebo had infused the organization with optimism. Just two weeks earlier, in a Thursday night game at the Meadowlands, Skattebo ran for three touchdowns, Dart had one rushing and another passing, and the Giants beat the Eagles 34-17. Skattebo entered Sunday with 398 yards rushing and five touchdowns. His injury was the latest big blow to the Giants, who lost top wide receiver Malik Nabers last month to a torn ACL in his right knee. Dart was 14 of 24 passing for 193 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles, while no receiver or running back topped 50 yards. The Giants had a full week to try to process the Mile High meltdown that unfolded against Denver, when a 26-8 lead inexplicably evaporated with the Broncos finishing off the stunning comeback to win 33-32 on a buzzer-beating field goal. Throw in the Skattebo injury and loss to an NFC East rival where the game was out of reach in the third quarter, and this loss had to sting just as much. "It's frustrating because I felt confident coming into this game," Dart said. "I felt obviously extra motivated because of how things happened last week. I really didn't want one to lead to another." ___ AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl