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Monday update: Barkley is dealing with low-ankle sprain that shouldn’t keep him out long, but it seems to be a “stretch” for him to go on a short turnaround Thursday night vs. the San Francisco 49ers, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
From The Insiders on NFL+: The latest on #Giants RB Saquon Barkley and what we learned from #Giants-#AZCardinals... pic.twitter.com/OHRjILI8X3
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 18, 2023
Post-post game update: Barkley’s ankle x-rays returned negative and it appears he has avoided a significant injury, per Jordan Schultz. He still has a quick turnaround to play on Thursday. It will likely be tough for him to be back to 100% by then.
Sources: X-Rays on Saquon Barkley’s ankle came back negative (meaning nothing is broken).
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 18, 2023
The next big step: I’m told the #Giants’ star RB will have an MRI tomorrow.
Again, the team believes Barkley didn’t suffer a serious injury, but the MRI will be its final confirmation. https://t.co/OItD3Qmw1e
Post-game update — There was no word from the team or Barkley himself on the severity of his ankle injury, but he was seen getting x-rays and limping after the game. The Giants have a tough matchup against the 49ers on Thursday and at this point it doesn’t look great for his availability.
Saquon Barkley had an x-ray on his right ankle after the game. He limped around the locker room and it was a bit swollen. Clearly he had some pain and discomfort.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 18, 2023
This is definitely a concern for the Giants and Barkley moving forward, especially with a short turnaround this week…
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley had to be helped off the field after sustaining what appeared to be an ankle injury late into the fourth quarter of the Giants’ Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals. He had his ankle taped on the bench, and was limping on the sideline.
Saquon Barkley is having his ankle taped on the bench, but walking with a clear limp. https://t.co/GJZy5EPMkl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2023
Barkley, who had 92 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in the Week 2 game, was slow to get up after getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage while the Giants were driving down the field ahead of their game-winning field goal.
Matt Breida, Eric Gray, and Gary Brightwell are listed behind Barkley on the Giants depth chart. If you’re looking for a replacement in fantasy football if Barkley is out, Breida should get the first crack at RB1 duties. He isn’t nearly the same player as Barkley and we could see Gray get more work given he was a recent draft pick and is young.