Giants’ Saquon Barkley remains on pace to return for 2021 season

© Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports In a nightmare scenario for the Giants, superstar running back Saquon Barkley exited the game in the second quarter and did not return. Barkley went down in a heap and had to be carted into the locker-room to undergo further testing on his right knee. The injury appeared to be severe and had a “season-ending” feel to it. Just a short time later, as the second quarter wound down, wide receiver Sterling Shepard also suffered an injury and limped off the field. Trainers examined his foot/ankle before taking him into the locker room for further evaluation. The Giants announced that Shepard was questionable to return with a toe injury, which he did after halftime, but that lasted just one play. He again headed into the locker room with a limp. “(function() {var sc = document.createElement(“script”), scCnter = document.getElementById(“container-sdp-voltax-player-01eqbvhghtkmz2182d-0463”), done = false;sc.src = mm_video_data.endpointUrl + “/01eqbvhghtkmz2182d.js”;sc.onload = sc.onreadystatechange = function() {if(!done && (!this.readyState || this.readyState == “loaded” || this.readyState == “complete”)) {sdpVoltax[“01eqbvhghtkmz2182d-0463”].initializePlayer( {“id”:”01f4f0f2yxfjw13vk9pd”,”playlist_id”:”01eqbx61yex5whq8aq”,”player_id”:”01eqbvhghtkmz2182d”,”type”:”video”,”image”:”https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/video\/thumbnail\/mmplus\/01f4f0f2yxfjw13vk9pd\/01f4f0f2yxfjw13vk9pd-d262bbe75a523edc862c130ec109debc.jpg”,”container_id”:”01eqbvhghtkmz2182d-0463″});done = true; sc.onload = sc.onreadystatechange = null; }};scCnter.appendChild(sc);})();”var sdpVoltax = window.sdpVoltax || []; sdpVoltax[“01eqbvhghtkmz2182d-0463”] = sdpVoltaxPlayerHandler().start(“01eqbvhghtkmz2182d-0463”);

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has been actively rehabbing since undergoing surgery to repair his ACL and meniscus in late October. By all accounts, his recovery has gone well and there have been no setbacks.

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed Barkley’s positive trajectory, tweeting out that the 24-year-old is expected back by the start of the season.

Shortly after Schefter’s tweet, the Giants announced they had picked up Barkley’s fifth-year option, meaning he will remain in blue through the 2023 season.

After a wildly impressive Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2018, Barkley has endured injury issues in each of the previous two years. In 2019, he missed time due to a high ankle sprain and then was lost for season following his knee injury in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears in 2020.

“If I came back and things didn’t go the way I envision them going — I can’t see that, because that’s the way I envision it — but I know I’m [going] to do everything necessary to put myself in the right position the smart way and right way to come back better,” Barkley said during an episode of ‘Hotboxin.’ “If it’s not in the cards for me to do it, at least I know I can look myself in the mirror that I put the work ethic and did the little things to become one of the best to do it.”

In early April, Barkley promised that the NFL world hasn’t seen anything yet.

Although the Giants do expect Barkley back at 100 percent this coming season, they are taking no chances. They’ve already signed Devontae Booker as insurance and may nab another running back in the 2021 NFL draft.

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