The Pittsburgh Steelers got Rico Dowdle back from injury in Week 6, and despite Jaylen Warren's dominant three-game stretch, Dowdle was involved in the backfield against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As long as Warren stays healthy, the Steelers don't have a need for a running back.
But there may be a golden trade opportunity too good to pass up.
Just before the New York Giants' Week 7 game against the New Orleans Saints, we learned that running back Cam Skattebo was going to see a decreased role. This came after a string of early-season fumbles. What we didn't know was that the second-year running back would play just six snaps and be held without a single touch.
Against the Saints, veteran Devin Singletary led all Giants running backs with 31 offensive snaps, followed by Tyrone Tracy with 29. Even former Steelers first-round pick Najee Harris entered the mix with 11 snaps.
Skattebo was an afterthought, and among 20 offensive players who saw the field for New York in Week 6, the bruising RB had fewer snaps than all of them.
Now we have to wonder if the Giants are willing to deal their once-promising running back before the NFL trade deadline at a discounted price following his demotion... and the Steelers should come knocking.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should trade for Giants RB Cam Skattebo if the price is right
As I said, the Steelers don't need a running back at the moment, but Skattebo has over two and a half years remaining on his rookie contract, and his fit would be intriguing. With the Well-rounded Jaylen Warren and the one-cut-and-go style of Rico Dowdle, Skattebo could be a short-yardage battering ram and a player who helps wear down opposing defenses.
As a rookie in 2025, Skattebo carried the ball 101 times for 410 yards (4.1 yards per carry) while punching in five rushing touchdowns. Skattebo also chipped in 24 receptions on 32 targets for 207 yards and two receiving TDs.
Because of his efficiency as a short-yardage runner and his ability to break the first tackle, Skattebo earned an outstanding 80.5 overall grade from PFF last year through eight games before his season-ending ankle injury in 2025. This ranked 12th among 59 qualifying running backs.
Skattebo was also credited with a broken tackle on every 14.4 rushing attempts, per advanced stats from Pro Football Reference. For comparison, Jonathan Taylor broke a tackle every 12.0 rushing attempts. This also ranked just behind players like Bijan Robinson (one per 13.0 carries) and Jahmyr Gibbs (one per 13.5), and it was better than Chase Brown (one per 14.5), James Cook (one per 14.7), and Saquon Barkley (one per 15.6).
Last year, Skattebo also ranked inside the top 25 in success rate (50.5%) among all running backs with at least 100 carries. This topped players like Jahmyr Gibbs (48.1%), Christian McCaffrey (48.6%), Kenneth Walker (43.9%), and De'Von Achane (49.2%).
Since the gruesome ankle injury, Skattebo hasn't quite been the same, but this could largely be an offensive line issue in New York. Without Skattebo touching the football in Week 7, Giants running backs combined for just 38 rushing yards on 17 carries (2.2 yards per carry). Harris, meanwhile, turned his four carries into just two yards (0.5 yards per carry).
Before the injury last season, Skattebo was starting to look like a true feature back, thanks to his ability to carry the workload and chip in as a receiver out of the backfield. But he seems to have completely fallen out of favor with the team that drafted him just a year and a half ago.
If the Giants intend to keep him in a small role following his recent demotion, New York may be willing to sell on the cheap. For a player who already has four fumbles this season and is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry through six games this season, the Steelers may not have to give up more than a Day 3 pick.
The risk could be well worth the reward if Skattebo returns to form and looks more like the player we saw as a rookie in 2025. The bulldozing running back would be the perfect complement to what the Steelers already have in the backfield, and if all goes well, he could serve in an increased role as the RB2 on the final two years of his rookie deal in 2027 and 2028.
Trading for Skattebo would not only give the Steelers added insurance in the backfield this year, but it could also spare them from paying Dowdle to stick around, using valuable salary cap space on a free agent in 2027, or using a quality draft pick on an unproven commodity next offseason.
The Steelers need a RB3 anyway, and if the price is right, why not?
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