Giants RB Saquon Barkley calls ACL tear “weakest moment of my life”

Saquon Barkley spoke on his 2020 season-ending ACL tear in a recent conversation with boxing legend Mike Tyson.

Saquon Barkley plans to come back better than ever in 2021. The star Giants running back’s 2020 campaign prematurely concluded after he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 2 against the Bears.

It wasn’t a great moment in Barkley’s life, to say the least. A dark time for him, definitely, and he recently spoke on the major setback while appearing on the “Hotboxin” podcast with legendary boxer Mike Tyson.

“When I hurt my knee, I ain’t gonna lie, that was probably the weakest moment of my life,” Barkley said. “Especially the first three days — I couldn’t control myself. [I was] crying, ‘why me? Why me? Why me?’ That third day just hit and it’s like, ‘So what? Now what?'”

The injury came nearly a year after Barkley suffered a high ankle sprain in 2019, which led to him missing three consecutive matchups and ultimately slowed him down for much of the season, even when he was playing.

Overall, health-related setbacks have prevented Barkley from returning to his 2018 form, a season in which he won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and earned his inaugural Pro Bowl bid.

Saquon undergoing a miraculous season in 2021 would be crucial for a Giants offense that struggled mightily without him last year. Big Blue was 31st in both total offense and scoring and 19th in rushing.

It’s also unclear what the Giants may do regarding Barkley’s contract this offseason. He’s eligible for a long-term extension but the organization could additionally exercise his fifth-year option. This would keep him under contract through the 2022 season and delay any extension talks should the team wish to see what he could do post-ACL tear before offering him a lucrative deal.

For what it’s worth, co-owner John Mara said in his end-of-year press conference last month that he expects Barkley to remain with the team “for a very long time.”