Giants’ Cam Skattebo says his denial of CTE and asthma were part of a ‘tasteless joke’ | New York Giants
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo has apologized for saying chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and asthma were “fake,” insisting his comments were not meant to be taken seriously.
During an appearance on the Bring the Juice podcast, the 24-year-old was asked if he believed CTE – a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma – was real. Skattebo called the condition an “excuse,” before making a similar claim about asthma.
“Yes, asthma is wrong too,” Skattebo said, adding that people should “just breathe air.”
After receiving widespread backlash for his comments, Skattebo offered to retract his statement on social media.
“I recently did an interview and made an error in judgment, which led me to make a tasteless joke about CTE and asthma. It was never my intention to downplay the seriousness of head injuries or asthma,” he wrote on X on Saturday. “I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my remarks and assure you that I will be more attentive and respectful in the future.”
CTE, a condition that can cause mood swings, depression, suicidal thoughts and memory loss, was found in 110 of 111 former football players in a 2017 study. The condition, caused by repeated blows to the head, can only be diagnosed after death. The league finally acknowledged a link between football and the disease in 2016.
Asthma affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and can lead to death in extreme cases.
Skattebo’s mother, Becky Skattebo, responded to her son’s post saying she had asthma and that his comments were a joke.
“If people only knew how many times Cam had to ‘run for mom’s inhaler,’ they would realize the sarcasm,” she wrote. “You’ll never make everyone happy and you’ll never say all the right things and people are bound to spin something sooner or later in a direction that it was never intended to go.”
Skattebo was a popular figure with Giants fans during his rookie season in 2025 because of his physical running style. He scored seven touchdowns and ran for 410 yards before an ankle injury ended his season.
