saquon barkley giants
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Saquon Barkley is looking to construct a phenomenal 2021 season following his injury-shortened 2020 campaign.

A major comeback on the way?

Saquon Barkley is looking to make it happen following an ACL tear that concluded his 2020 season.

Of course, the rehab process is lengthy and it’s not confirmed he’ll be getting the bulk of the load come Week 1. Regardless, the fourth-year Giants back was shown in a recent video running, cutting, and overall, taking a massive step towards a full recovery.

Barkley’s injury occurred in the first half of last September’s Week 2 loss to the Chicago Bears — current 49er Wayne Gallman assumed the majority of the load thereafter.

The lost season came after he was slowed down for much of 2019 due to a high ankle sprain. Injuries have prevented Saquon from returning to his 2018 rookie-year form in which he led the league with 2,028 yards from scrimmage and earned the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Saquon is reportedly “on track” to be ready for the start of the season. But while he’ll be the No. 1 back if he’s healthy, expect the Giants to potentially utilize Devontae Booker a decent amount as they ease Barkley back into the mix. Big Blue inked Booker to a two-year deal in March.

Barkley’s return will be important for the development of Daniel Jones and the improvement of the offensive unit (New York finished second-to-last in both total yards and points last year). A strong comeback would help coordinator Jason Garrett implement more creativity into the playbook and additionally take pressure off the team’s starting quarterback.

Ryan Honey is a staff writer and host of the Wide Right Podcast.