Jordan RaananESPN Staff Writer2. Oct 2023 7:42pm ET2 minutes read
EAST RUTRHERFORD, NJ – The New York Giants were without running back Saquon Barkley for Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks due to a high ankle sprain.
Barkley was among the team’s inactives after being listed as doubtful. He had limited practice throughout the week.
Matt Breida started in Barkley’s place. The Giants and Barkley held out hope that he might make significant progress in the final days and hours before the game. But it still never seemed realistic that he would make it back this week.
Barkley missed last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The original timeline for his ankle injury was that he could miss three games.
“It’s tough,” Barkley said Friday. “It’s one of those things where I think I’m doing a lot better than a lot of people would expect. Especially when I talk to doctors, I feel like I’ve moved on. But it’s frustrating because obviously I healed quickly, but you want it to be faster.
Barkley, who didn’t miss a game last season due to injury, tried to beat the original schedule. He expressed a desire to come back this week, but also recognized the need to listen to his body.
The Pro Bowl running back is a free agent after the season. He understands that there are some who would remain on the patient’s side when it comes to getting back on the field due to the contract situation. But Barkley, who signed a revised franchise tag on the first day of training camp, doesn’t see it that way.
“The reality is this: If I can walk, if my body tells me to go out and play, then that’s what I would like to do,” Barkley said. “Anyone else who is in that situation, or say if some people were in that situation where they don’t have a contract behind them or for business reasons, I respect that too. To be honest, that’s probably a smart thing to do.”
“But that’s not really because of my condition and how I see it. I don’t judge anyone if they do that, but if my body is capable of it then I will go.”
Left tackle Andrew Thomas was also among the Giants’ inactives Monday night. Second-year lineman Josh Ezeudu started in his place.