The New York Giants could be without Saquon Barkley for an extended time, with the running back suffering what is feared to be a potentially season-ending ACL tear on Sunday.
As the New York Post reported, Barkley was run out of bounds on the first play of the second quarter and fell hard to the turf. He remained on the ground in obvious pain, unable to put any weight on his leg. After sitting on the bench with his head in his hands, the running back was carted back to the locker room to undergo X-rays on his right knee.
As the New York Post noted, the injury appeared to be serious and some early reports indicated that it may be a torn ACL.
“I think all three are ACL injuries.” – PFF Injury Analyst @mario_pilato on Saquon Barkley, Nick Bosa, and Parris Campbell pic.twitter.com/BDc9Ezrki0
— PFF (@PFF) September 20, 2020
As ESPN reported, Barkley was ruled out for the game while undergoing further testing. The Giants have not yet released a statement on the severity of the injury, but a torn ACL would likely be a season-ender as it would require surgery and then several months of recovery. It would also be a blow to the team’s rebuilding plans, which have hinged around both Barkley and second-year quarterback Daniel Jones.
The report noted that the year was already off to a difficult start for the team and Barkley, who had just 6 yards on 15 carries in Week 1. He did have four carries for 28 yards in Week 2 before his injury, including an 18-yard run.
As ESPN added, he has been hampered by injuries often in his young career.
“Barkley, 23, is in his third professional season after being selected with the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft,” the report noted. “After a huge rookie season in which he accumulated more than 2,000 total yards from scrimmage, he was hampered by a high ankle sprain last year.”
The report added that Sunday was the first game that the Giants quarterback had all of his top weapons healthy since taking over the starting job last year. That included wide receivers Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton and Golden Tate, along with Barkley and tight end Evan Engram. That lasted just a little more than a quarter, with Barkley going off the field and not returning.
Shepard was hurt later in the half, going down after being tackled by Bears cornerback Jalen Johnson following a catch. The severity of his injury was not yet known, either.
A more in-depth update on Barkley’s injury is expected by Monday.