Skattebo’s CTE Joke Draws Response From Hall of Famer Mike Webster’s Son

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo triggered nationwide criticism in March 2026 after dismissing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy as “an excuse” during an appearance on the Bring the Juice podcast. The 25-year-old, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and tallied seven touchdowns in an injury-shortened rookie campaign, waved off the degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive head trauma and agreed when host Frank Dalena labeled asthma “an excuse” as well. “Just breathe air,” Skattebo said of asthma sufferers, adding, “You’re just soft.”

The remarks, captured in a clip that rocketed across social platforms, alarmed physicians, patient advocates, and former players. According to the World Health Organization, 262 million people worldwide live with asthma, while peer-reviewed studies from Boston University and JAMA have documented CTE in hundreds of deceased football players, including 110 of 111 former NFLers whose brains were examined in one landmark series.

Facing mounting backlash, Skattebo issued a formal apology on March 21. “I recently did an interview and had a lapse in judgment, which resulted in me making a tasteless joke about CTE and asthma,” he wrote. “It was never my intention to downplay the seriousness of head injuries or asthma… I’ll be more mindful and respectful going forward. MUCH LOVE!!!” Critics widely viewed the statement as necessary yet insufficient.

Among the most poignant replies came from Garrett Webster, whose father, Hall of Fame Steelers center Mike Webster, became the first NFL player diagnosed posthumously with CTE. “Mr. Skattebo, my father was Mike Webster,” Garrett posted. “You might not know him but he suffered from CTE… Please understand CTE has destroyed the lives of many former players and their families. Be better in the future. Rooting 4 u.” Mike Webster’s 2005 diagnosis, first published by neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, catalyzed modern awareness of football’s long-term neurological risks.

Becky Skattebo defended her son on X, describing the comments as botched sarcasm rooted in childhood memories of retrieving her inhaler. Reactions to her explanation were mixed, with many arguing that intent cannot negate harm.

The episode struck an especially discordant note inside the Giants facility: quarterback Jaxson Dart entered the league’s concussion protocol multiple times in 2025 and missed game action after being diagnosed. USA Today columnist Jarrett Bell wrote on March 24 that the NFL should treat Skattebo’s apology as a springboard for intensified, science-based education on head injuries, asserting that knowledge gaps among young players remain “troubling.”

As Skattebo rehabs the ankle injury that ended his promising debut season, he enters 2026 camp carrying both substantial on-field expectations and a sobering reminder that words voiced in public carry weight for the families forever affected by CTE.