Running back Saquon Barkley practiced for the first time since his ACL tear last season, going without a brace on his right knee. He said afterward he is “hopeful” he can play in the Giants’ season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 12.
Barkley, 24, tore his ACL last season against the Chicago Bears, and had surgery to repair the injury. He played in just two games before he was shut down for the season. Before Monday, he had been on the physically unable to perform list throughout training camp.
The Giants picked up his fifth-year option in April. Barkley, a 2018 Pro Bowl selection, is projected to make $7.2 million in 2022.
The running back had over 1,000 rushing yards in his first two seasons in the NFL and six rushing touchdowns in 2019.
(Photo: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
How will Barkley’s knee injury affect him going forward?
Virginia Zakas, managing director, Inside Injuries, Inc.: Barkley has been activated from the PUP list, so he can now practice with the team. It’s a step in the right direction, but I still believe he should miss at least the first two weeks of the season.
In addition to a torn ACL, Barkley also had to have his meniscus repaired and he damaged his MCL. This complicates and lengthens the overall recovery. The Inside Injuries algorithm still has him firmly in the High Injury Risk category (35 percent).
Barkley is going to need over a year to get back to full strength and needs to be very cautious with his training in the preseason and into the regular season. A compensatory injury is very common when coming back from a torn ACL, and his knee is still at risk of aggravation this early on.
How will the Giants deploy him?
Dan Duggan, Giants beat writer: Expect the Giants to bring Barkley along slowly. If he’s ready for Week 1 — which remains a very big if — don’t expect the workhorse type of workload from previous seasons.
The Giants’ focus is on keeping Barkley on the field, so they won’t push him too much early. That said, he’ll still be their top running back and, if everything goes according to plan, he’ll return to being a game-breaker this season.
His value in fantasy
Jake Ciely, senior fantasy writer: Barkley’s return to practice was expected, but his drop in ADP wasn’t. Now falling into the second, and even third, round of drafts, Barkley has become a great value pick.
Even if he’s less than 100 percent for the first few games, his upside over the final three months is as high as anyone outside of Christian McCaffrey.
Additionally, even a mid-teen touch workload for Barkley would still have him as a solid RB2. Barkley’s talent should have never let him fall outside of the first round, and his being back at practice is encouraging for those worried about the risk.
