It is time for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley to take a page out of the Adrian Peterson book of torn ACL’s. Barkley, who suffered a significant injury against the Chicago Bears in week 2 this season, has been waiting for inflammation to die down before undergoing surgery. With multiple tears in his knee, the ACL was the most significant one and represents an injury that players pick up on a weekly basis these days.
Having played only 16% of the offensive snaps this season, the Giants were hoping they could install one of the best running backs in the NFL into Jason Garrett’s system. A player like Barkley commands significant attention, forcing teams to stack the box and leave spots open in coverage.
So far, we haven’t seen the Giants’ offense completely take flight, as they currently rank second to last in the NFL, averaging 17.8 points per game. The only team worse is the New York Jets, which gives you a solid indication of just how poor this Giants unit is.
The New York Giants miss their best offensive weapon:
Barkley is one of the most explosive players in the NFL, and considering how many players have undergone this surgery in the past, we can assume that he will return to full health. There’s always the chance that the ligament never heals correctly, but considering the technological advancements with this specific issue, the belief is that he will recorder fully.
Luckily for Saquon, NFL Network reporter Ian Rapaport stated that Barkley’s procedure would be led by Dr. Neil ElAttrache of Kerlan-Jobe, the team physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Rams.
The goal is for Saquon to return in 2021 with a full bill of health, but it is likely he will miss a large chunk of training camp. I estimate that he will be ready for week 1 next season, but he has a long road to recovery ahead of him, especially with the delay in surgery due to the inflammation of the knee.