A Giant loss for New York?
Giants running back Saquon Barkley has been no stranger to injuries through his NFL career. From knee issues to ankle woes, Barkley has spent a fair share of his NFL career on the shelf.
It didn't take long into the 2023 NFL season for Barkley to get another unfortunate taste of injury misfortune, when he suffered an ankle sprain in Week 2 vs. the Cardinals. Barkley's leg was trapped underneath him on a tackle, but it looks like the fifth-year back avoided serious injury.
That's generally good news for the Giants, who are looking to push for a wild-card spot in 2023 and need all the help on offense they can get. Barkley hasn't quite been as explosive on offense yet (114 yards and a touchdown on the season), but he's still a home-run threat when healthy.
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Here's the latest on Barkley's injury and when you can expect to see him back on the field:
How long is Saquon Barkley out?
There's no firm timeline on Barkley's return date, but head coach Brian Daboll originally said that Barkley was a game-time decision for Thursday night vs. the 49ers. Daboll said that Barkley was feeling much better the day after the injury occurred, adding that the team will take it "to the wire" to determine if he'll play.
That turned out not to be the case, with the Giants ruling Barkley out in the day leading up to the matchup vs. San Francisco.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reporeted Wednesday that Barkley would potentially miss one more game (Week 4 vs. Seahawks) before making a return in Week 5 vs. the Dolphins.
The good news is that the Giants did not place Barkley on IR, which would force him out a minimum of four games. That could bode well for a return to the field sooner than expected.
What is Saquon Barkley's injury?
In the Giants' Week 2 win over the Cardinals, Barkley was tackled awkwardly late in the fourth quarter, leading to an ankle injury. Barkley would need help off the field.
This may end up being the story of the Giants game, though.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) September 17, 2023
Here’s the play where Saquon Barkley got hurt, making this potentially a very costly win. 👀👇 pic.twitter.com/Nu8MTSNZgm
Though it had initially been reported Barkley had avoided a high ankle sprain, Barkley reportedly told Amazon's Taylor Rooks that he had, in fact, suffered a high ankle sprain, with Rooks saying that it was "not as severe as it could have been."
"Him not playing [in "Thursday Night Football] is more of a pain tolerance issue. He did say, the good news, is their next game is on a Monday night, which gives him 11 more days to recover," Rooks said. "He's not making any guarantees, but he's happy that it gives him more time to be the Saquon that the team needs and that he always aims to be."
Typically, players bounce back from a sprained ankle in weeks, rather than months, meaning Barkley avoided a worst-case scenario.
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Saquon Barkley injury timeline
Sept. 21: Barkley tells Amazon's Taylor Rooks he suffered a high ankle sprain.
Sept. 20: The Giants officially rule Barkley out for Thursday night's game vs. the 49ers.
Sept. 20: The injury report ahead of "Thursday Night Football" has Barkley listed as questionable with an ankle injury.
Sept. 19: Giants head coach Brian Daboll wouldn't rule Barkley out for Thursday night's matchup vs. the 49ers, saying that the running back has improved since he suffered the injury. Daboll says the team will take it "to the wire" with Barkley on Thursday night.
Sept. 17: In the closing minutes of the Giants' win over the Cardinals, Saquon Barkley is tackled awkwardly and comes up hobbled. He would limp to the sideline.