Bad news for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
Barkley suffered an ankle injury in the Giants' Week 2 win over the Cardinals that was at the time categorized as an "ordinary" ankle sprain. In the thrilling comeback victory, the Giants running back had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter and went into the facility for further testing, which revealed the sprain.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Barkley was expected to miss three weeks of action, putting him back in play around Week 5 or Week 6.
The latest update suggests Barkley may have to miss more time.
On Prime Video's pre-game show ahead of the 49ers-Giants matchup on Thursday night, Taylor Rooks revealed that Barkley's ankle injury has been upgraded to a high ankle sprain, typically more severe than a normal ankle sprain.
Rooks says Barkley told her that his injury was indeed a high ankle sprain but that he thought the injury was not as severe as it could have been.
Barkley said his reason for sitting out of the short week game against the 49ers was more due to a "pain tolerance issue."
Giants RB Saquon Barkley has a high-ankle sprain
The two-time Pro Bowler missed a handful of games in 2019 and 2021 due to his ankle; he also suffered a torn ACL in 2020 that caused him to miss the majority of that season.
After a resurgent 2022 year for the Giants in which Barkley rushed for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns, Barkley's high ankle sprain will likely throw a wrench into Brian Daboll's plans to get his team back to winning ways.
High ankle sprains tend to differ in recovery times. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered one in last year's playoffs and ended up being able to play all the way into the Super Bowl, but that short turnaround likely doesn't apply to the running back position. Plus, Barkley has a history of ankle issues.
In Barkley's absence, Daniel Jones is projected to record more rushing yards, and backup running back Matt Breida will likely receive a fair share of snaps in the backfield.
Following Thursday's game, the Giants play a Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks in 11 days, giving Barkley extra time to recover. Stay tuned for more updates on Barkley's recovery.
