Giants hope to get rookie WR Kadarius Toney some reps on Sunday vs. Patriots
Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney runs with the ball during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 10. Credit: Brad Penner
Saquon Barkley, Kyle Rudolph and Kenny Golladay will not play in Sunday’s preseason finale against the Patriots, coach Joe Judge announced on Friday. The three, along with other veterans such as John Ross and Danny Shelton, are at various points in their recovery and return from injuries, so it’s best to let them sit this one out and try to get as healthy as possible for the regular season.
There is one player who has been sidelined almost all summer whom Judge would not scratch as a Sunday night participant, however. He seemed to be holding out hope that first-round pick Kadarius Toney might be able to squeeze out a few snaps against New England just so he can get a taste of NFL play before he steps on the field for the first time in a game that counts.
It’s unlikely to happen, as wide receiver Toney has been sidelined by a hamstring injury and the effects of COVID-19, but the preseason game is more valuable for him than just about anyone else who will be missing the contest.
"As a young player especially, you can't lay back and rely on years of experience," Judge said. "[Tight end] Kyle Rudolph's a much different situation. He’s played a long time in this league. He's got vast experience in different systems, different coaching. He can draw on his experience and get ready . . . [Rookies] need the experience to get them going."
So far Toney’s experiences have been severely limited. He has made it through the completion of only a handful of practices and has spent the past two weeks working with trainers rather than with coaches and quarterbacks.
Judge conceded that missing this time will delay the impact the Giants hoped he might have on their offense and special teams when they drafted him in the first round in April.
"No one just jumps out there just because they have ability or talent and is going to play in Week 1 or Week 2 like they’re going to play in Week 8, Week 10, or year two or year three," Judge said. "They're going to keep on progressing as a player. So, in terms of getting him ready, whenever we're afforded the opportunity to get him on the field, we’re going to get him ramped up and get him going."
It probably won’t be Sunday, but Judge is keeping that option available.
Notes & quotes: As for Barkley, Judge said it was "really encouraging" to see the running back on the field against the Patriots in Thursday’s joint practice, particularly when he caught a pass over the middle and made a move upfield with the ball in his hands. "As he mentioned afterwards, ‘You know, I would have gone a lot further than when you blew the whistles,’ " Judge said. "Yeah. I’m sure you would have." Judge could not say whether Barkley will be available for the Sept. 12 opener or not, but that seems to be everyone’s target. "The focus will be really gearing him up to as much 11-on-11 as we can give with our own team, controlling the situation, and then also putting him in some situations where he’s going to go out there and just react," Judge said. "That's really the biggest test physically coming off any injury when you're on the field, it’s the reactionary quickness and the sudden shift to play . . . We've got two weeks right now. We're going to just do right by him by seeing how he practices and make the decision based on that."
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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