This is some good and bad news for the NY Giants and star running back Saquon Barkley. On Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, the Pro Bowl RB wasn't able to close the game out after he suffered a nasty-looking ankle injury.
Barkley was hobbling and he had to be helped off with the help of team trainers. He made his way to the bench and looked visibly upset. Luckily for the Giants, Barkley won't miss significant playing time for this team.
On Monday, No. 26 underwent an MRI, with the Giants and Brian Daboll hoping that a major injury would be avoided. That's exactly what has happened, with insider Adam Schefter reporting that Barkley has been diagnosed with a sprained ankle and he'll be out for only three weeks. This is a relief, as plenty of people were worried sick that Barkley would miss a lot more time than that.
An MRI showed that Giants’ RB Saquon Barkley suffered an “ordinary” ankle sprain that now is expected to sideline him three weeks, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 18, 2023
Saquon Barkley has a sprained ankle and he'll miss three weeks for the Giants
With Barkley out for the next three weeks, that means that he'll be missing the showdowns vs. the 49ers (this upcoming Thursday night), the Monday Night Football meeting with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4 and the Week 5 showdown with the Miami Dolphins.
If Barkley is able to rehab and everything goes according to plan, then we could see him take the field in Week 6 in the Sunday Night Football battle with the Buffalo Bills. It's no question going to hurt the Giants offense to have Barkley away from the field for so long, but again, this feels like good news compared to what a lot of people initially thought.
Barkley proved how valuable he was for this team against the Cardinals, scoring two touchdowns in the second half of the heart-stopping 31-28 win. Now, it will be on several other offensive playmakers to step up and deliver for Coach Dabes while Barkley is unable to suit up.
Last season, Barkley recorded a career-high 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. When healthy, he's one of the best running backs in the game, but the amount of injuries he has suffered throughout his career has been back-breaking. This latest injury is another setback for him, but Big Blue supporters are confident Barkley will be a force as soon as he's able to return.