New York Giants fan favorite Cam Skattebo added to the belief of some football fans that he is a lunkhead with wild thoughts on CTE and asthma this week.
In just eight games, the 24-year-old endeared himself to NY Giants fans this past season. The fourth-round pick wasn't expected to make a big impact. However, when given more opportunities, he showed he can be a meaningful contributor.
Yet, while Skattebo displayed a lot of potential with the ball in his hands, his heart and undeniable passion for the game created a new fan-favorite and potential RB1 in 2026. Standing out under the bright lights of New York always brings added attention, and it landed him an appearance for WWE and on a boatload of podcasts over the last six months.
This week, he was a guest on the "Bring the Juice" podcast and showed that while he may be a good football player, he should not be offering medical opinions. When host Frank Dalena asked if he believed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, was real, Skattebo responded by saying "no" and added that the degenerative brain condition is "just an excuse."
Boston University's in-depth studies on CTE are fairly hard to deny, and they explain why many former football players often deal with serious mental illnesses after their playing careers come to an end. Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez and Hall of Famer Junior Seau had sad ends to their lives before they committed suicide. Both were later diagnosed with the disease.
Yet, that was not where the head-scratching comments ended. When Dalena suggested asthma is also an excuse and asked if the opinion was a high take, Skattebo said, "No, that's a good take. Yes, asthma's fake too." Then added, "Just literally breathe air."
The National Center for Health Statistics revealed in 2024 that 8.6 % of adults have asthma, and 6.5% of people under 18 suffer from it. Furthermore, the Center reports 3,722 people died from asthma during its reporting window.
The lesson from the NY Giants player's comments should be that being good at football doesn't mean people are smart in general.
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