The Bengals need to solidify their running back room entering the home stretch of the 2026 season, and a recently embattled young rusher could be the right answer.

Cincinnati may be able to trade for Giants running back Cam Skattebo after he seemingly entered head coach John Harbaugh's doghouse this month.

Skattebo has 81 carries for 291 yards and a score this season, but he played just six snaps on Sunday after being at 34-plus in every game this season.

 "You can say, well, I don't like that. I don't like you divvying up the snaps between four backs. And I can tell you, I don't like it either," Harbaugh said about the snap drop for Skattebo on Sunday. "One of those guys needs to step up. Somebody needs to step up and be the back.

"And none of those guys have done that yet. And when one of those guys steps up to be the back, then they'll be the back. That's your answer. And that's as honest as I can be about it. And they know that, too. And believe me, they're all hungry. They want to step up. One of those guys wants to step up. Somebody's going to step up and take that job. We're going to see who it is."

New York has three running backs (Najee Harris cut on Tuesday) vying for snaps on its roster right now and clearly isn't 100% bought in on Skattebo leading the room.

The 2025 fourth-round draft pick might be had for a low-value Day 3 pick in next year's draft, unlike some more expensive RB options out there, and he's flashed some great running before.

Skattebo has just a 55.4 Pro Football Focus grade this season and won't bring anything as a pass blocker (36 pass-blocking grade on 25 snaps this season), but he ran really well last year en route to an 80.5 overall grade.

The 24-year-old should have plenty of tread left on his tires and could spur Chase Brown to more impactful moments down the stretch of his contract season. Skattebo is under contract through the 2028 season and carries just a $1.79 million cap hit for the rest of this season and next.

Cincinnati should take a flier on Skattebo with one of its eight 2027 draft picks (one third-round compensation pick slated for them along with seven other normal picks).

Brown could bounce back and thrive in the final months of the season like he did last year, but it shouldn't cost much to get this insurance just in case that doesn't happen. Cincinnati has a few weeks to mull options before the trade deadline on Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET.

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