Giants’ Saquon Barkley will not play against Raiders (Report)

Saquon Barkley misses yet another game due to an ankle injury.

Another injury-plagued season continues for Giants running back Saquon Barkley.

ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports Barkley will not suit up this Sunday afternoon against the Raiders. He’s still dealing with a low-ankle sprain that’s kept him off the field ever since he sustained the injury against the Cowboys in Week 5.

Saquon Barkley (ankle) is not going to play this week. Wasn’t even out at open portion of practice Friday after false positive Covid test this week.

“A guy who’s been out for several weeks like that, yeah we’d like to see him on the field,” Joe Judge said before practice.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) November 5, 2021

The team could’ve originally placed Barkley on injured reserve, but this was always going to be a week-to-week issue. It was just originally unknown that he was going to miss this amount of time.

Placing Saquon on injured reserve would’ve knocked him out for at least three games but would’ve given the Giants more flexibility with his roster spot.

Barkley was also in the COVID-19 protocol earlier this week, but it ended up being a false positive test. The Giants took him off the Reserve/COVID-19 list Friday.

His replacement

Against Vegas, Big Blue will look to Devontae Booker to man the running game for the fourth straight week.

Booker rushed for a season-high 60 yards on 15 carries in Monday night’s loss to the Chiefs. He’s averaging 3.4 yards per carry through seven games (three starts) in 2021.

Barkley’s overall value

Barkley’s persistent injury woes diminish his overall value, to the point where it’s very unclear how much time he has remaining in East Rutherford. He is signed through 2022 thanks to the fifth-year option the Giants exercised this past offseason. However, there’s a chance the front office could look to trade him ahead of next year in order to earn back draft capital for the future.

Given the injuries and the fact he’s had just one great season since entering the league, extending Barkley at the end of this year or next would be a waste. The Giants may as well look to acquire a return for him at some point.

Follow Ryan Honey on Twitter: @RyanHoneyESNY

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