Yahoo Lifestyle Saquon Barkley reportedly could miss 4-8 weeks with high ankle sprain
If you saw Saquon Barkley’s injury, or him walking on crutches with a big walking boot, Monday morning’s news isn’t a big surprise.
The star New York Giants running back has a high ankle sprain and could miss “several weeks,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The #Giants are expecting to be without star RB Saquon Barkley for the next several weeks because of his high-ankle sprain, source said. Not surprising given the nature of the injury and his presence with a walking boot and crutches on the sideline.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 23, 2019
ESPN’s Adam Schefter had a more specific timetable and said the injury could knock Barkley out until after the team’s Week 11 bye.
MRI revealed Giants’ RB Saquon Barkley suffered a high ankle sprain that could sideline him anywhere from 4-8 weeks, per source. Longer timeline is considered more likely; the Giants have a bye in week 11, which could give him eight weeks to recover and return for last six games.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 23, 2019
That certainly takes the steam out of a huge Giants win on Sunday that was notable for rookie quarterback Daniel Jones’ excellent first career start.
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Wayne Gallman will presumably take over as the Giants’ starting back with Barkley out.
Saquon Barkley’s injury a blow for Giants and NFL
Barkley’s injury is a big blow to the Giants and the NFL as a whole.
Barkley, the second pick of last year’s draft, is one of the most electrifying players in the game. He was the first overall pick of many fantasy drafts. He’s one of the league’s most marketable stars.
High ankle sprains can linger a long time. Even when Barkley returns, it’s possible he doesn’t have the same trademark explosion he showed at Penn State and so far in his NFL career. The Giants will have to be careful with his return, to make sure he’s not rushing back.
Until then, Jones will be under even more scrutiny.
Daniel Jones takes on more responsibility
Jones had a fantastic first start. He threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for two more including a late go-ahead touchdown against the Buccaneers.
Life would be easier for the rookie quarterback with Barkley alongside him, but that will take some time. Gallman is solid but very few backs are in Barkley’s class. Jones will have to take a large part of the offense on his shoulders. On Sunday, with Barkley out most of the game, he looked capable of that.
Barkley was happy after the game to report he wouldn’t be out the rest of the season, which indicated this was no minor injury. All the Giants can do is wait for their star running back to heal up.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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