Giants RB Barkley activated and back at practice
Less than one year after tearing the ACL in his right knee, Giants running back Saquon Barkley has been activated off…
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley has been activated off the physically unable to perform list and returned to practice Monday for the first time since tearing the ACL in his right knee early last season.
Barkley was on the field practicing with his teammates in a limited capacity Monday. The Giants’ practice follows an off-day on Sunday.
The Giants have been adamant about taking it slow with Barkley. He has spent the early part of training camp working on a side field with trainers. But he has been running and cutting at full speed and has looked good in the process.
“We’re going to have conversations on a daily basis about his rehab and conversations on a weekly basis, at times, on where we think he is coming up,” coach Joe Judge said late last week.
Barkley tore the ACL in his right knee in Week 2 of last season against the Chicago Bears. He also needed the meniscus in the knee repaired and had some MCL damage.
It has been almost 11 months since Barkley suffered the injury. The Giants’ season opener at home against the Denver Broncos is Sept. 12.
“In terms of a player like Saquon and a timetable coming back, he’s making daily progress,” Judge said Friday. “I know it sounds like a broken record, but that’s important for us to see coming off an injury like this. You want to make sure that it’s not push forward and take a step back.”
The Giants plan to slowly ramp up Barkley over the next several weeks. He isn’t going to be thrown straight into live drills, and he probably won’t participate in upcoming joint practices with the Cleveland Browns or New England Patriots.
Barkley, 24, was the No. 2 overall pick out of Penn State in the 2018 NFL draft. After a record-breaking rookie season in which he compiled 2,028 total yards, the past two years have been a struggle because of injuries. Barkley has played in 15 of the Giants’ past 32 games.
He had 34 rushing yards on 19 attempts before the knee injury last year.
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