![Saquon Barkley says shoulder injury is ‘not that crazy’ and ‘won’t ‘stop me’ Saquon Barkley says shoulder injury is ‘not that crazy’ and ‘won’t ‘stop me’](https://trangangolf.storage.googleapis.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/23150242/412962084_779100577563268_3371857793184435682_n.jpg)
Saquon Barkley said his right shoulder injury won’t limit him Sunday against the Jaguars. He was upgraded to a full practice participant on Friday and off the injury report.
“It’s annoying, but it’s not something that’s going to stop me from going out there and being able to produce,” Barkley said Thursday in the Giants’ locker room.
The Giants (5-1) hope Barkley is right as they travel to Jacksonville (2-4).
A hit on his shoulder late in last week’s win over the Ravens “woke … up” an injury he initially had sustained against the Green Bay Packers in London.
Barkley was in obvious pain in the fourth quarter against Baltimore. He shook out his right arm, left the game for a play and was doubled over on the sideline.
When he returned, he seemingly turned his back on a pass protection to avoid contact with his shoulder. And he appeared to discourage teammate Mark Glowinski from touching his shoulder during a subdued jog to the sideline after scoring his go-ahead touchdown.
Barkley was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday. But he was a full participant Friday and assured “it’s really nothing serious,” just some pain and discomfort.
“It’s not that crazy, you know? In my opinion,” he said, vaguely.
He said the Giants trainers have him on a “program” of rehab and strength work.
“It just sucks that I play running back in the National Football League and kind of every time I touch the ball I’m getting hit in my shoulder,” he said with a laugh.
That’s the concern.
Barkley leads the NFL with 771 yards from scrimmage. The only others with 700-plus yards are Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (719) and Browns RB Nick Chubb (700). The Giants need No. 26 to build on this two-game win streak.
The Jaguars, by the way, allow the third-fewest rush yards per game: 89.3.
JONES: CONTRACT CROSSES MY MIND
Giants QB Daniel Jones is a team-first player who remains focused on winning games. But he admitted this week on The Ringer’s “New York-New York” podcast with John Jastremski that his contract situation does occasionally cross his mind.
“Not a whole lot,” Jones said. “I mean, I’d be lying if I said I never think about it, but I think for the most part you want to be present and do what you gotta do each week to play. That’s down the road. That’s a situation that’s out of my control in the immediate future.”
“So I think just taking care of what I got to control, to play as well as I can, to help this team win games, I think is the most effective way to kinda deal with that,” the QB added. “So that’s kinda how I try to approach it.”
Jones is playing on the fourth and final year of his rookie contract after the Giants declined his fifth-year option in the spring. The team could franchise tag him on a one-year deal or as a placeholder to negotiate a long-term contract this offseason, or decide to move on.
WARD ON JAGS: THERE’S HOPE NOW
Giants edge Jihad Ward endured Urban Meyer’s disastrous one-and-done season as a member of the 2021 Jaguars. He says there was nowhere to go but up.
“There wasn’t no hope in Jacksonville when I was there,” Ward said Thursday. “There’s hope now because [Jags coach] Doug Pederson is doing a hell of a job. But going over there, there [were] a bunch of young cats over there that [were] just too much worried about fame and all that stuff. When they hit adversity, some people — most people — would shut down.”
Meyer was fired with a 2-11 record after 13 games. Darrell Bevell took over as interim head coach. Then Pederson was hired to restore order.
“That’s what evolves with culture,” added Ward, who leads the Giants with six tackles for loss. “Some veterans tried to bring it together, but it was the Urban Meyer situation. That was that. Lack of leadership. But I hope they heal from that. I’ve talked to certain guys who like it over there. So that’s a good thing.”
ENGRAM HAS A NEW HOME
Evan Engram, the Giants’ former first-round pick, signed a one-year deal worth up to $9 million with Jacksonville in the offseason. He has 28 catches for 208 yards, which ties him for the third most receiving yards on the Jaguars.
“He brought a lot of experience and a lot of depth that we needed at that position,” Pederson said in a conference call. “His route-running ability and overall leadership are things that I’ve seen. Very unselfish player. He does whatever it takes to help us try to win football games and he’s been great in that way.”
INJURY REPORT
OUT: WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf), OLB Oshane Ximines (quad), CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf). QUESTIONABLE: C Jon Feliciano (groin), DB Jason Pinnock (ankle).
Coach Brian Daboll said Feliciano “should be good” to play Sunday. LT Andrew Thomas, who is dealing with elbow and ankle injuries, was upgraded to a full participant Friday and came off the injury report. S Xavier McKinney was full after a Thursday rest day.