Cam Skattebo’s Low NFL Salary Could Be the Reason for His New Side Hustle

Cam Skattebo’s rookie NFL season was shaping up as a statement year before it abruptly came to a halt. In his first eight games, the Giants RB made five starts and piled up 617 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns. He also led all rookies in both categories. More importantly, his no-holds-barred playstyle quickly won over Giants fans.

But everything changed in Week 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Skattebo suffered a gruesome non-contact injury, a right ankle dislocation with a fractured fibula and ruptured deltoid ligament that ended his season on the spot. The injury required emergency surgery and was later confirmed as an open fracture, meaning the bone broke through the skin.

The Giants placed Skattebo on injured reserve shortly after, ruling him out for the rest of the 2025 season. Doctors expect a four to six-month recovery and believe he should be ready for OTAs and minicamps ahead of the 2026 season. In the meantime, the rookie was stuck watching football instead of playing it. And that is where Twitch streaming entered the picture.

During his rehab, Skattebo quietly launched a Twitch channel under the handle sk4tpack, describing it as a form of “Twitch rehab.” The idea seemed to be simple: stay mentally engaged, interact with fans, and find some happiness while being sidelined from the game he’s played his entire life.

And within weeks, Skattebo’s channel crossed 124,000 followers and surpassed 1,000 paid subscribers thanks to clips from his streams quickly going viral. From showing fans his surgically repaired ankle on stream to going viral for debating the right way to eat tacos, and even doing a shoey on stream with N3on, the Arizona product has done enough to draw attention to his unexpected off-field pivot.

Recently, however, a new layer was added to the story.

A report circulating on X claimed that Skattebo will take home roughly $250,000 this year from his NFL salary after taxes and agency fees. While the number has not been officially confirmed, it aligns with the reality of his rookie contract.

Skattebo signed a four-year deal worth $5.27 million, but his 2025 base salary sits at $840,000, with a signing bonus making up most of his guaranteed money. Once taxes, agent fees, and other deductions are applied, the reported figure suddenly feels far more plausible.

Still, the $250k amount sparked immediate debate online, with many fans connecting the dots between his post-injury downtime and his sudden interest in Twitch streaming.

But for the majority, the youngster needing a side hustle while earning nearly a quarter million per annum was a major red flag. “Only? The dude is in his 20s with no kids. If he can’t live on 250k after taxes, he needs to rethink his priorities,” one user said.

Others were less sympathetic. “Bro makes more than 99% of people and we cryin?” another joked. A third added, “250k to watch a dogshit team from the sidelines sounds like a good gig.”

Still, there were some who viewed Skattebo’s move as a smart way to build a personal brand and create a potential safety net while rehabbing an injury that could have lingering effects.

So all in all, whether the streaming started for money or simple boredom, one thing is clear: Instead of disappearing during rehab, Skattebo has turned an unfortunate setback into an opportunity. Kudos to him for making the most of his time.