Ever since we started to hear Saquon Barkley‘s name while he was an elite running back at Penn State, I can not recall one time ever seeing Barkley not pop right back up after a hit. This guy was built differently then the rest, as he has proven with his incredible durability and talent. This Sunday, Saquon finally showed us that he wasn’t invincible like we portrayed him to be these past couple years, and that he can get injured just like all of the rest of the running backs eventually do. The reason I say “eventually do” is because NFL running backs have the shortest careers, estimated at 2.57 years.
In the second half of Sundays win over the Buccaneers, Barkley caught a swing pass from rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. After a short gain, he was wrapped up around the ankles by the Bucs safety, Mike Edwards. As they went to the ground, Saquon’s right ankle was caught up and twisted under Edwards right arm. He immediately dug the top of his helmet into the turf and rocked back and forth in pain. Getting up under his own power, he was looked at by trainers for a short time on the sideline then was helped back into the locker room for testing, only to return back to the field in a boot on his right foot.
After Barkley underwent an MRI, Adam Schefter then reported the results came back that he had suffered a high ankle sprain to his right ankle that would sideline him for 4-8 weeks. Schefter also noted the Giants approach a bye week in week 11, giving him an extra week to recover and suit up for the final 6 games of the season.
Saquon then took a trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin on Wednesday to see one of the nations best recommended foot doctors, Dr. Robert Anderson. Many running backs have been known to visit Dr. Anderson for a second opinion or options on the different steps they can take to return to the field. According to Ian Rapoport, One of the options Saquon was given by Anderson was tight rope surgery. This surgery is used to strengthen and stabilize your ankle for the time being, until you receive actual treatment. After all options were reviewed, Dr. Anderson then recommended that Barkley not undergo the surgery and wait out the 4-8 week period.
The short time that Saquon has spent in the league, he has proven that his work ethic and heart wont keep him off the field for long. Just like Ian Rapoport hinted at in the video above, lets see how he’s doing in a month and plan on Barkley being back from this ankle injury sooner than later. He’s a rare running back that for the most part stays healthy and remains on the field. He mirrors the play of a young Adrian Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson. Peterson with the strength and balance and pretty good track record of avoiding the Injured reserved list. Along with LT who had the lateral quickness and rapid bursts of speed, although not the healthiest, he ended his career with incredible numbers. The way I see it, these type of guys only come around once in a while and when they do, for the sake of NFL fans, you want them on the field.
As the New York Giants did take a major blow this Sunday, it has to be nice to see the love and support this guy has for his team. Although injured, Saquon was not going to let that stop him from hopping on one leg across the field to celebrate Daniel Jones rookie debut win. Now that Eli Manning has taken the back seat and began his role as backup quarterback, Jones is a guy Barkley will be seeing a lot of in the future. Even though seeing your pro bowl running back go down for half the season is troubling, watching the passion he has for the Giants has to be promising. This guy has always been a winner and I along with a-lot of others believe he is planning to bring that same winning culture to New York in years to come.
Beyond The Banks 