One of the most dramatic regular season wins in recent New York Giants history had a bit of a sour aftertaste when star running back Saquon Barkley suffered an ankle injury on the team’s game-winning drive.
With 1:08 remaining in the game and the Giants setting up for Graham Gano’s go-ahead field goal, Barkley was bent in half by a swarm of Arizona Cardinals defenders. He limped off the field with assistance from two members of the training staff.
According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Barkley underwent an x-ray on the ankle and was seen in the Giants’ locker room limping around in some “pain and discomfort.” He added that there is “definitely a concern,” for Barkley’s availability moving forward. The Giants have just four days to prepare for their next game — a Thursday-night matchup in Santa Clara against the San Francisco 49ers.
Barkley had his best game of the young season, rushing for 63 yards and a touchdown with an additional 29 receiving yards. He helped spearhead the Giants’ largest comeback since 1949, overcoming a 28-7 deficit to defeat the Cardinals 31-28.
But the Giants will be waiting with bated breath for the status of Barkley moving forward. A linchpin of their offense, which had been shut out for the first six quarters of the 2023 season, the 26-year-old has continuously dealt with injury issues for most of his NFL career. After missing the entire 2020 season with a torn ACL and MCL, he struggled to regain his form in 2021. He bounced back well last season, posting 1,312 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns in 16 games.
