Cam Skattebo Almost Played for 49ers Before Joining New York

It would have been incredible to see Cam Skattebo line up alongside Christian McCaffrey. The New York Giants running back has become quite the polarizing figure since joining the league last season, earning genuine adoration from fans everywhere. His downhill physicality and high-energy personality make him one of the most entertaining players to root for.

Skattebo fits perfectly into the identity head coach John Harbaugh wants to build with the Giants, and he has quickly embraced life in the Big Apple. Yet, his path to getting drafted looked radically different back when he left Arizona State. He nearly ended up right back home in Northern California, almost being selected by the San Francisco 49ers to serve as a backup for All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey.

On Wednesday afternoon, Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh spoke with reporters ahead of the team's upcoming matchup against the Giants. While praising Skattebo's skill set and character, Saleh dropped a fascinating draft nugget that changed everything.

"I know going into the [2025 NFL] Draft, we were actually about to draft him in San Francisco," Saleh said. "[49ers head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] loved him, and he ended up getting taken right before we were picking. I think we ended up with C.J. West, who was a pretty good player too."

Saleh served as San Francisco's defensive coordinator in 2025 during his second stint in the role; he also held that post from 2017 to 2020 before moving on. New York ultimately selected Skattebo with the No. 105 pick in that year's draft, while C.J. West went to Tennessee.

The potential of pairing McCaffrey and Skattebo in the same backfield could have created one of the league's premier duos. Maybe they would even be the best duo since the Detroit Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to team up with David Montgomery?

Shanahan's reputation for evaluating running backs speaks volumes about Skattebo's potential. Since being drafted by the Giants, he has hit the ground running, rushing for 527 yards and six touchdowns over his first 10 career games. After suffering a gruesome ankle injury that limited him to just eight games in 2025, Skattebo bounced back in a big way in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, rushing for 81 yards and a touchdown to power the Giants to victory.

Both franchises are in good hands at the position now. But Shanahan's interest only reinforces his reputation as an elite evaluator. What could have been with a McCaffrey and Skattebo backfield is a fascinating "what-if.