NY Giants star running back Saquon Barkley has been running and cutting during training camp, as head coach Joe Judge says he is making strides towards returning from a torn ACL
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — NY Giants running back Saquon Barkley is powering up, and ramping up his rehab bid from last season’s torn ACL.
Monday, Barkley was seen on the far field sprinting, running, and cutting with Giants trainers looking on, but the intensity of the star running back’s workouts seemed to have kicked up a notch.
“He’s making a lot of strides for us,” NY Giants head coach Joe Judge said Monday. “I don’t want to go ahead and make any predictions or anything on Saquon, but I will say this guy’s showing tangible progress every day with our medical staff.”
Barkley remains on the PUP list.
Prior to Monday’s practice, NY Giants head coach Joe Judge says that while Barkley isn’t quite participating in a simulated practice on his own, the team is building up what they’re asking him to do as training camp stretches into its second week.
https://twitter.com/JordanRaanan/status/1422232504682139656
"“Right now,” Judge said. “We’ve really mirrored his rehab to what our players are doing on the field practice-wise, to make sure that he’s building up to that same volume, that same intensity. We can kind of go apples to apples with what he’s done on a daily basis compared to the players that are in practice, to give us a better picture of where he is in terms of physically.”"
Barkley is notoriously a fast healer, after missing just three games due to a high-ankle sprain in 2019. However, returning from a torn ACL suffered in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears last season is an entirely different task.
The NY Giants are rightfully being cautious when it comes to getting him back onto the field.
“He’s been doing a great job since day one of working,” Judge recently told FanSided. “He’s made a lot of gains throughout this spring and summer. I know he’s anxious to get back on the field, but the one thing we really need to know and do is take the long-term vision with him.
“That’s long-term for this season, that when we get him out there we can keep him out there, and long-term for his career … He’s still a young player and ultimately we have to do what’s best for him and what’s best for the team.”
While Barkley continues to work towards a return, the NY Giants re-signed veteran Alfred Morris, and on Monday it was Corey Clement and Devontae Booker who saw the majority of key practice reps.
Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com