Saquon Barkley Feeling Good After First Game Action In Nearly A Year

Giants running back Saquon Barkley gave a memorable performance Sunday, but not for the reasons football fans would expect.

He picked up only 26 yards on 10 carries and a reception, but even being on the field was an accomplishment in its own right. Barkley famously tore his ACL in Week Two of the 2020 season, which means he returned to professional football less than a year after major surgery.

After the game, Barkley sounded disappointed in his performance, but hopeful and excited for the season ahead.

“I feel pretty good. It’s not my normal workload,” Barkley said. “Usually, I’d probably have a lot more plays, but that’s all I’m saying. Obviously, we didn’t get the win. We’ve got go back, watch film, address it and get better for next week. But at the end of the day, it’s a blessing that I was able to — it was a milestone for me, I guess that you could say. I put a lot of hard work to be able get to get back on the field and I was able to accomplish that. It just didn’t go the way we would’ve liked. Great thing is there’s 16 more of those things to come.”

The Giants don’t have any time to lick their wounds after the 27-13 loss to Denver on Sunday, as the team travels to Washington in a few days for Thursday Night Football. When asked what the plan for him may be on Thursday, Barkley simply said he’d have to wait and see how the knee responds and take it “day by day.”