Saquon Barkley Takes Important Step in Return from ACL Injury

Saquon Barley recorded his best rushing performance since returning from a torn ACL injury suffered in Week 2 of the 2020 season against the Chicago Bears.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jan 3, 2022 8:00 AM EST

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley knew he was getting closer to being his old self again after a devastating torn ACL injury.

But just as Barkley, who suffered that injury on the grass turf at Soldier Field in Week 2 of the 2020 season, though he had turned the corner, he ended up suffering a sprained ankle in Week 5 that has bothered him ever since.

So it was only fitting that Barkley, in his first return to the scene of his injury, recorded his first 100-yard rushing performance. He finished with 102 yards on 21 carries in what was the lone bright spot on a Giants offense that finished with minus ten net yards passing and just 151 yards total offense.

“I think the o-line did a tremendous job of opening holes for me and Book (Devontae Booker),” Barkley said after the game. “But as an offense collectively, we just didn’t do enough to get the job done and we’ve just got to be better.”

Head coach Joe Judge, one of Barley's most prominent supporters in his comeback quest, was happy for the player.

“I thought Saquon did good things,” Judge said .” A couple times they had him in the backfield with some blitzes or pressures, he was able to slip out and make something out of nothing at certain times. I thought he ran hard, I thought he ran with good ball security, I thought he went out there and really played as a good team player today and fought to the end.”

Last week, Barkley declared his intention of finishing out the season despite his ailing ankle, and he said that questions about him wanting to make a business decision were ones he took personally.

"I feel like I just sat out the whole year the year before with a torn ACL, missing games this year with an ankle injury," he said. "I don’t say it was a dumb question, but for me personally, it’s kind of insulting me when people say that or ask me that question."

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Jan 2, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Giants safety Logan Ryan (23) makes an interception on Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) but was called back for pass interfence during the second half at Soldier Field.

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Barkley said that it was a relief to log that accomplishment finally.

"Coming here and to be able to have a 100-yard game and kind of come to the place where the injury happened and kind of made my career go backward a little bit, it does feel good. It feels like a monkey came off my back to come to the spot where everything felt like it went downhill.

"Personally, to be able to get a run game going and especially with the help of the offensive line, who did a great job today, I’m appreciative of those guys up front for continuing to believe in me. Things haven’t been that great this year."

Not just for Barkley, but the team as well, as the Giants have secured their fourth straight losing season since Barkley joined the team in 2018. But Barkley echoed head coach Joe Judge's sentiments about the team's culture being strong enough to potentially pull it out of the dark days.

“I think you’ve got guys that come to work every single day – win, loss, draw, win by 40, lose by 40, that come to work and fight and that’s all you can ask for on both sides of the ball and special teams, too,” Barkley said.

“Obviously, we’re not getting the results we would like, but it’s tough to find teams that are at this point 4-12 or whatever we are, and the culture and the locker room is still being carried on, and we’re still staying together as a team.

“If anything, this will bring us closer. I have faith in this organization and this team and those players in the locker room, and it’s been tough times, especially personally for me, being here four years, there have been tough times.

"But the right guys, the right guys are in this locker room, and I truly believe that just based on their character, based on their work ethic, based off of the talent that they have. Obviously, we would love for it to be different this year, but sometimes we’ve just got to keep sticking with it and keep believing and keep trusting the process.”