Thursday's Giants practice could provide clues about Saquon Barkley's availability for Monday's game against the Seahawks
Injured Giants running back Saquon Barkley stands on the field after an NFL game against the 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday. Credit: AP/Jed Jacobsohn
There will be an update Thursday on Saquon Barkley and his high ankle sprain as the Giants will practice in pads in preparation for Monday night’s game against the Seahawks at MetLife Stadium.
It would be a significant surprise if Barkley were to fully practice. But the first injury report of the week will provide the first clues indicating if a return could be feasible Monday.
Barkley said last week that he suffered the high ankle sprain in the win over the Cardinals.
Coach Brian Daboll has referred to Barkley as a quick healer. The Giants hope that is true. Their one-dimensional offense without Barkley was not up to the task against the 49ers, who won, 30-12, last Thursday.
“He’s really, I’d say, in the day-to-day category,” Daboll said. “Feels a lot better today, but we’ll kind of take that all the way throughout the week and see how he improves.”
The Giants missed him against the 49ers. How much of a difference he could have been in that game can’t be known. But the Niners had no worries about the Giants ground game without him.
In Week 2, Barkley had 17 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown and six receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown before exiting the Giants' lone win. His nine-yard touchdown catch, in which he dove past a defender to reach the pylon, made it a one-possession game after the Giants trailed by as many as 21 points.
“It’s always tough to see anyone go down, especially Saquon," Giants quarterback Daniel Jones said after the injury. "He's a huge piece of what we're doing. He's an important player on the team. So, I know he'll work hard to get back, get through whatever he's going through. Look forward to having him back as soon as possible."
Last season, Barkley ran for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns and added 338 yards on 57 catches, accounting for 27.7% of the Giants' scrimmage yards.
The Giants’ options in the run game without Barkley are seven-year veteran Matt Breida, three-year veteran Gary Brightwell and rookie Eric Gray.
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
