New York Giants: Saquon Barkley Could Be Back Sooner Than Expected

The New York Giants are on a two game win streak despite being without their best player for a game a half. Saquon Barkley went down with an ankle injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Initial reports indicated that Barkley would be our for quite a while. Saquon was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain that would keep him inactive for 4-8 weeks.

However, it now seems like Saquon Barkley might be able to return to game action a little sooner than expected.

Saquon Is Confident He Can Beat The Timetable

Saquon Barkley’s injury was a serious one that was supposed to leave the team without its best player for a month or longer. But according to Saquon Barkley, he will not be sitting out that long.

Last Sunday, Kimberley Jones reported that Saquon Barkley was telling people “he can beat the for recovery from a high-ankle sprain, while the team training staff will make sure he’s cautious enough.”

Saquon Barkley seems to determined to make a comeback sooner than four to eight weeks.

The Giants now consider Saquon to be “week-to-week”

 It now seems like Saquon will be able to beat his timetable like he said. Pat Shurmur was quoted on Monday saying that Saquon Barkley is “week-toweek” now and eager to get back to work.

This is important because the Giants are actually winning. If the team was 0-4, there would be no point in getting Barkley back on the field anytime soon and it would probably be smarter to save him for next season. But the Giants are currently 2-2 and only one game back from first place in the NFC East.

If the Gmen continue their winning ways, they will want to get Saquon back on the field as soon as possible. Barkley is arguably the best running back in the NFL and will instantly elevate the offense once he gets back on the field. If the Giants can keep themselves in the race while Saquon is sidelined, then they will want him to return as soon as he can in order to increase their playoff chances.

Saquon Is Already Ahead Of Schedule

After the Giants’ most recent win against the Washington Redskins, Saquon was pictured leaving the stadium. Those who saw the photos quickly shifted their attention away from Saquon’s fashionable outfit and over to to Saquon’s ankle. 

Fans were surprised to see that Saquon Barkley was not wearing a walking boot. It seemed a little soon for Saquon to already be walking without a boot, but it fits in line with Barkley’s story that he will beat the timetable.

Saquon’s recovery is definitely ahead of schedule. Redskins quarterback Case Keenum was in a walking boot for a similar injury, took off the boot and played in a game two days later. Saquon will not be ready to play this week, but there’s a good chance he will not be sitting out a whole month as the earliest reports suggested.

In fact, the most recent reports indicate that Barkley could be back as soon as next week. During Wednesday’s practice, Saquon Barkley was spotted working on the side already sprinting and cutting. While the Giants have decided not to rul Saquon out this week, he is still highly unlikely to suit up against Minnesota. However, this new puts Saquon way ahead of schedule and in good shape to beat his initial timetable.