4 ambitious goals for NY Giants RB Saquon Barkley

The expectations will be sky-high for NY Giants running back Saquon Barkley this upcoming season. With him entering Year 5, and his final contract year with the New York Giants, it could also be his last campaign with the team. It would be widely beneficial for both sides if Barkley can return to form in 2022.

Barkley, while being one of the faces of the NFL, has been plagued with injuries since his second year in East Rutherford. While it’s no fault of his, it seems as if each time he is on the brink of greatness, another hurdle is thrown in his way. A torn ACL and ankle sprains have left Barkley to be just a shell of himself over the past two seasons. Even while dealing with injuries, Barkley has shown flashes of how good he can still be.

And there’s no reason to believe that he can’t return to that level, and play like this consistently. Barkley’s rookie season still stands to be his best in the NFL. He exploded onto the scene, recording 2,028 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns, earning him Pro Bowl honors.

Since his sophomore season in 2019, Barkley has accounted for 2,391 yards from scrimmage and just 12 touchdowns. He has also not played a full season in that time, missing 21 games over this stretch. However, 2022 could be the year that Barkley finds himself back in control of his destiny. The Giants offense will look brand new, with a rebuilt offensive line, new weapons on the offense and new play-callers calling the shots. The stars are in line for Barkley to return to stardom.

Here are four ambitious goals for Saquon Barkley in 2022

1. Play in all 17 regular season games

Having Barkley available for each game should be the biggest goal for this Giants team. Barkley hasn’t played in a full season since his rookie year. As noted, he has dealt with an unfortunate string of injuries that have kept him limited in each season since 2019. His overall availability has kept the Giants from seeing just how good he is at 25 years old.

Him being able to suit up for all 17 regular season games could be what both sides need to continue this relationship after his contract ends. Barkley playing in each game will also help the Giants see how good their team can be. Each part of this offense needs to be built piece by piece, and not having someone of Barkley’s caliber will hurt this unit in a big way.

With this also potentially being the last season for Daniel Jones in a Giants uniform, having Barkley alongside him will also give him his best chance to succeed. The two have played well when on the field together, but recently it hasn’t happened enough. Having both of these guys healthy and ready to go will give the Giants the best chance to succeed.