EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Saquon Barkley stood on the sidelines, biding his time to get back into the action Sunday afternoon. Wearing his helmet and standing with other Giants subs, the superstar running back was waiting to play during the second offensive series of the third quarter. Just waiting for his number to be called. But it never was. He never went back in.

Once that possession ended, Barkley headed to the bench. Sporting his winter hat instead of his helmet, he took off his gloves, and that was it. He was done. One of the Giants’ most dependable players this season, Barkley exited Sunday’s 48-22 loss to the Eagles early. He’d finish with nine carries for just 28 yards, along with two catches for 20 yards. By total yardage, it was his second-lowest output of the season.

So, what happened? Let’s start at the beginning.

That Barkley would even take the field at all was in doubt before Sunday’s kickoff.

The running back was a surprise addition to Thursday’s injury report with a neck injury after suffering a stinger in Wednesday’s practice.

“Caught the ball, tagging off, kind of spun out of it, and something just flared in my neck,” Barkley explained.

A limited participant again in Friday’s practice, the team listed Barkley as questionable on the game’s injury report.

“It kind of was up to the last minute with the neck, and the only thing I did was just continue to rehab it all week and trust the doctors, trust the trainers, and they kept telling me if it keeps getting better, I’ll get a shot and get a chance,” Barkley said. “Woke up this morning, and I felt like I was ready to go, and the doctor agreed with me.”

Barkley was one of the first Giants players to arrive for Sunday’s game, receiving treatment early and taking pregame warmups.

“I wouldn’t say we had (him on) a pitch count, but I think we had a plan,” coach Brian Daboll said afterward. “He came in early and got his treatment. He got looked at by the doctors and the medical staff. We were going to make sure we were being smart with him.”

Though Barkley started with the Giants offense and picked up the first carry, he rotated with his backups more than usual. Running back Matt Breida played more passing downs in place of Barkley, and Gary Brightwell played a full series, which is rare. Barkley played only 20 snaps, about a third of his normal load (55.7 per game). To speak to the impact Barkley usually has, the leading rusher wasn’t even a running back or quarterback Daniel Jones. It was quarterback Tyrod Taylor (40 yards on two carries), who came in with six minutes in the fourth quarter as Jones’ replacement.

Barkley played during the Giants’ first series of the second half, but he was hit hard by the Eagles’ Fletcher Cox on a 5-yard run. Barkley headed to the sidelines, later flexing out his right shoulder. The shoulder injury has nagged Barkley all season.

“Yeah, someone ran (into) it, but I think it was flat, so it wasn’t, like, anything crazy,” Barkley said. “Good run, landed, got 4 or 5 yards, came out the game for a play or two, part of the rotation, and that was it.”

Barkley came back in when the Giants reached the red zone. He tallied two carries inside the 5-yard line (gains of 1 yard, then 2) before Jones punched in a touchdown on a quarterback sneak.

And that was the end of Barkley’s playing time. Daboll said the reason Barkley didn’t play more was game flow rather than an injury.

“Coach kind of told me (he was going to) go with GB (Brightwell) and Breida. And I just tried to be a good teammate and be supportive,” Barkley said. “I mean, that’s really what it is. I really don’t know what the balance is like. If I don’t play enough, I’ve got to answer the questions; if I play too much, I’ve got to answer those questions. …

“I mean, I don’t know what you guys really want from me with the answers on that. But it was part of the game plan. Obviously, I would have loved to play a lot more. The reason why I didn’t play as much was not because of my neck. The Eagles played great. We got our ass whipped. We’ve just got to do better as a team, and it starts with the leaders, and it starts with myself.”

For Barkley, that means quickly moving past Sunday’s blowout and shifting the focus to next week’s crucial rematch with the Commanders. The NFC East rivals are both 7-5-1 and fighting with each other, as well as Seattle (7-6) and Detroit (6-7), for a wild-card berth in the NFC playoffs. After tying Washington in Week 13, this upcoming game has already been cemented as the biggest of New York’s season. The winner will likely make the playoffs, which is why the NFL flexed it into the Sunday Night Football slot.

Some might have thought the Giants were trying to save Barkley for the more critical matchup next weekend. Not so, said Barkley, who wasn’t concerned about sitting out this week to prepare for the Washington grudge match.

“Not in my mind,” Barkley said. “Every game is important. I was ready. I was ready to go, but obviously, the game plan and just the way the game played out, that wasn’t the case.”

So, with his neck no worse for wear after playing Sunday, is there any doubt about playing in next weekend’s pivotal matchup?

Barkley emphatically answered that one:

“No doubt.”

(Top photo: Al Bello / Getty Images)