Saquon Barkley is an absolute beast, as the second-year running back continues to light up the NFL with his absurd combination of power, speed and agility. And while the 2018 No. 2 overall pick was forced to miss some games this year due to a high ankle injury, he, miraculously, bounced back faster than a normal human being should, proving that he’s inhuman in all ways possible.
Given his injury, though, many are wondering if it’s time for Saquon Barkley to scale it back a little bit this year, or, worse, even just take the season to get himself healthy. That seems absurd to suggest, but with the New York Giants struggling again — and starting a rookie quarterback who’s still learning the league — nobody would blame the team for protecting the future of the franchise by playing him less. While load management is a hot topic in the NBA right now, Barkley himself has no interest in such a plan, as he squashed the idea when asked about it.
Saquon Barkley: “The mindset of sitting me out and resting me for the rest of the season is beyond me. I do not agree with it. It won’t happen.” #Giants #NFL pic.twitter.com/XFwLLnG04T
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) November 12, 2019
That’s sort of the approach one would expect Saquon Barkley to take. After all, he’s a pro football player, so it’s natural that, you know, he wants to be out on the gridiron playing the game he loves. Sure, it might mean more hits that will take its toll throughout the course of his career, but the guy doesn’t care, he’s playing regardless of what his team’s record is, following a similar stance as the great Michael Jordan in the NBA.
The original idea of scaling things back for Barkley was brought up by NJ Advance Media‘s Matt Lombardo, who wondered whether Barkley’s ankle remained a problem, leading to the whole load management conversation. Here’s what Lombardo mentioned the other day.
Per Bleacher Report:
“The explosiveness, elusiveness and dramatic stop, start and cutback ability that makes Barkley a threat to score whenever he touches the football has been replaced by hesitancy.
“There’s a chance that a week away from football during the bye week will give Barkley time to recuperate. That is, unless his right ankle is more injured than anyone is letting on.”
Lombardo concluded the Giants’ best move would be to sit Barkley to preserve his health.
In theory, Lombardo’s suggestion makes sense. But, again, Saquon Barkley isn’t one to sit out and miss games if he’s capable of playing. So to think that he’ll change that mindset now — especially after working his ass off to rehab the initial ankle injury to return to the field — is absurd to think about. Regardless of what the Giants, or anyone else, might want the running back to do, Barkley will stay in the lineup until he’s dragged off the field; which is a good sign for all fantasy football owners with Barkley on their roster.