New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley Partakes in Live Contact Drills

The arrow is pointing up for running back Saquon Barkley, who went through his first known live contact drills on Thursday since tearing his ACL last season.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Sep 2, 2021 7:30 PM EDT

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley’s long and arduous journey back from a torn ACL has pretty much been smooth sailing.

But despite the progress, there is still a degree of uncertainty as to whether Barkley will be ready to roll in ten days when the Giants open up the regular season at home against the Denver Broncos.

“I know Week 1 and the season is right around the corner, but I’m just taking it one day at a time,” he said after taking his first live contact drills during the team’s Thursday practice.

“That’s the approach I’m going to take not just rehabbing, but from now on. I feel like that’s the best thought process to have throughout the season, not just for me as a player physically, but mentally, too. So, I’m just going to take it one day at a time and that’s my approach.”

Barkley said he took some “good shots” from his teammates during the team’s practice, which was only open to the media for about 20 or so minutes. He quickly added that the day was more about route running but admitted that, “Today felt good at practice and practicing with everyone on the team.”

As encouraged as Barkley has been, there was still a hint of uncertainty as to how much, if anything, he’d be able to do in 10 days when the Giants hit the field to start the regular season.

“Do I feel like I’m close? It’s been almost 11, 12 months since I’ve been in a football game, so right now obviously there’s still some work to be done, to be put in because obviously I’ve only been practicing for two to three days,” he said. “That’s why I’ve got to be a pro outside of football, within football and getting myself ready.”

Barkley has said before he’s anxious to get back out on the field with his teammates, but at the same time, he’s been patient and has listened to his body and the team’s doctors so as not to rush himself and end up undoing all the hard work he’s put in.

He said his rehab is still ongoing and will continue to do so, nothing that even before his injury, he was doing something for his body. “I put a lot of work into my body, I put a lot of my money into my body, so that’s not going to stop. I guess you could call it ‘prehab.’ That’s how you’ve got to do it not just for injuries that have happened already, but to prevent injuries from happening further down the line.”

So is he starting to feel more like his old self?

“I guess. I feel good, taking it one day at a time,” he said. “I’m just not even trying to think about do I look like my old self. I’m a very confident player. I know whenever I’m able to get back out there – maybe it might be one quarter, maybe it might be one play – whatever the opportunity is, when I’m back out there, I know I’m going to be able to go out there and be who I am and play how I am.

“Right now, I’m not focusing on if I’m making cuts saying, ‘Is that how it was before?’ I’m focusing on getting in football shape, just living in the moment, enjoying the moment and playing football again.”