The immediate future of New York Giants running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] looks ominous after the former Penn State star was helped off the field late in the fourth quarter of the Giants’ road game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Barkley needed the help of two Giants trainers to come off the field as he did not put any weight on his right leg.
The visibly frustrated Barkley slammed his helmet on the bench, perhaps knowing the status of his right ankle will not be promising. After the game, in which Barkley helped lead a monster comeback after being down 20-0, Barkley had an x-ray on his right ankle, according to ESPN reporter Jordan Raanan.
“He limped around the locker room ad it was a bit swollen,” Raanan said on his X, formerly known as Twitter, account. “Clearly he had some pain and discomfort.”
The Giants will hope for the best, but the initial reactions seem far form optimistic. How much time Barkley could miss remains to be seen, although the Giants have a game against the San Francisco 49ers coming up this week on Thursday night. The short turnaround does not leave much recovery time for Barkley if he needs time to heal his ankle.
Saquon Barkley had an x-ray on his right ankle after the game. He limped around the locker room and it was a bit swollen. Clearly he had some pain and discomfort.
This is definitely a concern for the Giants and Barkley moving forward, especially with a short turnaround this week…
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 18, 2023
Barkley rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown and 29 receiving yards and a touchdown reception to help the Giants mount a big comeback against the Arizona Cardinals. A week after getting embarrassed in the season opener by the Dallas Cowboys, Barkley started to put the Giants on his back to change the momentum of the game.
Barkley came out of the game with just over a minute left in regulation with the game tied at 28-28. Barkley’s two touchdowns started cutting into the Cardinals’ 21-point lead (28-7).
Saquon Barkley got hurt. He needed help walking off the field.
He is very frustrated and disappointed on the sideline.— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) September 17, 2023
Saquon Barkley fantasy owners
pic.twitter.com/RUaarRFaOO— Mikerophone (@MikerophoneNFL) September 17, 2023
All of this is incredibly frustrating given Barkley’s offseason contract headlines and drama, in addition to his past injury history during his NFL career. After failing to come to terms on a new contract with the Giants originally, the Giants placed Barkley on the franchise tag.
The Giants eventually came to terms on a one-year contract for the 2023 season. Barkley is now set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.