Getty Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants carries the ball in the second quarter against Washington.
Saquon Barkley has accomplished quite a lot over his young NFL career. The former No. 2 overall pick burst onto the scene in 2018, leading the league with 2,028 yards from scrimmage, en route to NFL Rookie of the Year honors.
Yes, his past two seasons have been riddled with injuries. However, he still managed to post a second consecutive 1,000-plus yard rushing campaign in 2019, ranking within the top-10 in yards per game across the NFL. He also broke the franchise record for most yards from scrimmage in a single game that year, totaling 279 yards against Washington — the most by any player in the NFL that season.
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Barkley Sends Memo to Rest of the League
A torn ACL suffered in 2020 has led to some doubts of whether Barkley will ever recapture his previously dominant form. Believe it or not, the New York Giants star appears to somewhat agree with that sentiment. Not because he doesn’t believe he’s capable of doing so, but rather because he believes he will far exceed it.
Barkley Shows Rehab Progress in Workout Clips
It’s now been approximately seven months since we’ve seen Barkley take the field. Yet, the 24-year-old is showing off his progress via social media as he eyes his 2021 return in September.
As touched on above, Barkley’s third NFL season did not go according to plan. The Penn State product suffered his torn ACL during the first half of the Giants’ Week 2 matchup against the Chicago Bears. In return, the former Pro Bowler finished the year with just 94 total yards on 25 touches in just over five quarters of play.
“When I hurt my knee, I’m not going to lie, that’s probably the weakest moment of my life, especially in those first few days,” Barkley revealed in February during an appearance on the Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson podcast. “I just couldn’t control myself crying, asking ‘Why me? Why me? Why me?”
Barkley noted how strong words from head coach Joe Judge and position coach Burton Burns played pivotal parts in getting the running back in the right mindset following the initial shock of the injury.
“This is a saying that Coach Burns is always telling me,” Barkley stated. “It happened, so, like you [Tyson] said, adversity makes the weak weaker and makes the strong stronger. You have to pick and choose what side you want to be on.”
But still he got so far to go ….. 🤞🏾🖤
The Giants have a looming decision to make in regards to both Barkley’s fifth-year option as well as a potential long-term deal. Both parties have publically voiced their preference to put off contract talks for now. However, when talks do ramp up, concerns over the running back’s durability will undoubtedly play a pivotal part in how smoothly the discussions go — or at least one would think.
“We fully expect him to be as good as new,” owner John Mara said. “I mean, if anybody is going to spend 100 percent of his efforts to rehab, it will be Saquon — just knowing what type of motivation he has and desire he has.”
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