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When New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley crumbled to the turf clutching his right knee, it was immediately obvious that something terrible had gone wrong.
Although it has not yet been confirmed via MRI, early reports suggest Barkley suffered a torn ACL and will be lost for the season.
That’s a tremendous blow to the Giants’ already struggling offense and one head coach Joe Judge recognizes as a major story.
“Obviously we’re all praying for the best,” Judge told reporters. “I would just say this, regardless of whatever the outcome is going to be and what the doctors say tomorrow, I wouldn’t fall asleep on 26. It’s going to be a hell of a story either way.”
Quarterback Daniel Jones admitted it was tough to see Barkley go down, but he has faith others Giants will step up.
“Definitely tough to see anyone go down, especially a guy that works as hard as Saquon does,” quarterback Daniel Jones said. “And, you know, we don’t know what it is yet, but certainly keeping our thoughts and prayers with him. He’s a guy that comes to work every day. I know he’ll attack any challenge, and we’re all here to support him. So, yeah, always tough to see a teammate go down.
“I don’t think anyone knows exactly what the injury is or what that sets us up for. So, dealing in hypotheticals right now isn’t the most productive thing. But whatever it is, we’ll respond as a team and do the best we can going forward.”
Veteran cornerback James Bradberry, who had a tremendous game against the Chicago Bears despite the loss, said his heart stopped when Barkley went down.
“Of course, your heart stops for a minute, but we really don’t know the verdict of Saquon’s injury right now, so prayers up to him and we’re hoping for the best,” Bradberry said.
Running back Dion Lewis also expressed some emotion when discussing Barkley and acknowledged there’s no one in the league that can replace his elite talent.
“I mean, he’s Saquon Barkley, so you lose a guy like that, it’s a huge loss,” Lewis said. “Saquon is one of the best running backs in this league, so nobody’s going to be able to do what he does, what he’s done.
“I just told him to keep his head up, stay positive, believe in God. Nobody knows what’s really going on right now, so just try to keep his head up. He’s a great kid, and we’ve grown extremely close since I’ve been here, so you know, definitely feel for him.”
Linebacker and defensive captain Blake Martinez called it a “tough moment.”
“It’s definitely a tough moment,” Martinez said. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on completely, but I saw him and said, ‘Hey, I’m praying for a quick recovery for whatever it ends up being.’ I hope to see him back as soon as possible.”
The Giants fought hard in Barkley’s absence, but there’s no denying the emotional toll it has taken and will take on his teammates.
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