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Giants Coach Brian Daboll Doesn't Rule out Saquon Barkley vs. 49ers

Daboll provided a very encouraging update on the ailing running back.

Patricia Traina

Giants Coach Brian Daboll Doesn't Rule out Saquon Barkley vs. 49ers
Giants Coach Brian Daboll Doesn't Rule out Saquon Barkley vs. 49ers /
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The New York Giants already put out one miraculous outcome this week when they overcame a 20-0 halftime deficit against Arizona to win the game 31-28.

However, could a second miraculous outcome be on deck, this one regarding ailing running back Saquon Barkley's availability for the game?

Barkley suffered a sprained ankle in the waning seconds of the Giants' 31-28 win, which fortunately wasn't the high ankle variety that usually sidelines a player for a month or more. Still, initial reports claimed that Barkley would likely miss three weeks while healing.

However, Giants head coach Brian Daboll offered a very encouraging update on the running back, which could result in Barkley returning sooner rather than later.

"I'm not saying that he's out yet," Daboll said of Barkley's status for Thursday night. "He's a quick healer. We'll take it all the way up with him to Thursday, but he feels a lot better today. I just talked to him, so we'll see where we're at."

While that is encouraging news for the Giants, it might behoove the Giants and Barkley not to rush him back and risk making the ankle worse, not when there is an 11-day gap between the Giants' Week 3 and Week 4 games.

"I think it all factors in," Daboll said of the 11-day break being a factor. "Ultimately, I go back to the player and see where he's at, and he's made, I'll say, considerable progress in just a day and a half or however many days we've been out here. So again, we'll just, we'll go all the way up there to the start on on Thursday and see where we're at." 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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