When New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley went down to a high-ankle sprain Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, initial estimates were that the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year would miss 6-8 weeks.
Not so fast. In talking to the media ahead of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, Giants head coach Pat Shurmur would not rule out Barkley returning this week.
That’s an absolutely stunning statement.
High-ankle sprains are typically multi-week injuries. For example, Nick Bosa suffered said injury early in training camp. It cost him the rest of the summer session and the preseason.
If the Giants could get Barkley back in time for Sunday’s game, it would be an absolute boon. They have won two consecutive games under rookie quarterback Daniel Jones.
For his part, Barkley has tallied a whopping 2,339 total yards and 16 touchdowns in 19 career games.