Saquon Barkley looks ready to go, makes sick catch prior to NY Giants vs. Patriots

NY Giants running back Saquon Barkley went through pre-game warmups for the first time prior to Sunday’s game against the Patriots and looks ready to go

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Saquon Barkley won’t play during the NY Giants’ preseason finale against the New England Patriots, but he certainly seemed to make a statement pre-game.

Barkley, after returning to team drills during joint practices with the Patriots this week — while wearing a red non-contact jersey, went through pre-game warmups at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night and looked ready to go for the regular season opener against the Denver Broncos.

Running routes with Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, Barkley made a one-handed catch and turned upfield, seemingly not favoring his knee whatsoever.

https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1432078602661732358

Barkley and the NY Giants have the benefit of two weeks of practices, that are closed to the media, to continue to work Barkley into full-team drills and any contact situations prior to the regular season kicking off on Sept. 12 against the Denver Broncos.

The NY Giants are counting on Barkley to be a focal point of the offense, after rushing for 2,344 yards and 17 touchdowns through his first two-plus seasons in New York, after being chosen with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Barring some sort of setback, it would seem that Barkley is trending in the right direction to return in time for Week 1, which would be less than a full calendar year since tearing his ACL Week 2 against the Chicago Bears last season.

Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com.