Even after gruesome injury Cam Skattebo and Jaxson Dart gave Giants fans chills

The New York Giants were finally starting to feel fun again.

Sure, the record didn’t show it, but there was something different brewing with this rookie class. Quarterback Jaxson Dart had the aura. Running back Cam Skattebo was maniacal. They had that college-like chaos energy — the kind that made it effortless to root for them, even when the scoreboard didn’t exactly cooperate.

Week 8 in Philadelphia was supposed to be more of the same. The pair got off to a hot start with an 18-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Life was simpler back then, until everything unraveled in the second quarter, and the collective sigh from Giants fans was loud enough to register on the Richter scale.

Skattebo’s ankle got awkwardly caught in an illegal hip-drop tackle from Eagles linebacker Zack Baun. Dart’s immediate reaction said it all. And the moment that followed — as Skattebo was being carted off with a dislocated ankle — hit harder than anything else on the field on Sunday:

Cam Skattebo and Jaxson Dart’s emotional headbutt caps brutal Week 8

Before the medical cart made its way off the field, Dart walked over and leaned in with the same electric headbutt handshake the two rookies had been doing since the day they met.

It always looked ridiculous, but that was the point. But in that moment, with Skatt sitting upright, looking dejected, and No. 6 trying to stay composed, it didn’t feel ridiculous at all.

It was a Louvre-worthy moment if I've ever seen one. A moment that felt so much bigger than football. After the game, the 22-year-old opened up to the media, admitting just how devastating it was to lose his mate:

"That's my boy, so seeing him go down and obviously, reacting to what happened, it sucks. It's the worst part of this game."

Jaxson Dart

Skattebo’s probably done for the year. Malik Nabers is already out with an ACL injury. The offense is losing bodies fast. But that headbutt — the one right before the cart pulled away — said everything without saying anything. It used to be a joke. Now it’s a reminder that there’s still something worth playing for.

Even if we don’t get another headbutt in 2025, fans won’t forget it, not because it was some big moment, but because of what it represented: better days ahead. Here's to more headbutts for years to come.