New York Giants Activate Running Back Saquon Barkley Off the PUP List

Giants running back Saquon Barkley is in the final stages of his rehab before making his return to the football field following a devastating ACL injury suffered in Week 2 last season.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Aug 9, 2021 3:46 PM EDT

The New York Giants' four-man PUP list is reportedly about to lose its most high-profile member.

Running back Saquon Barkley, who opened training camp on the PUP list as he continues his rehab from reconstructive surgery on his knee last October, has been removed from the PUP list, the team announced.

The 24-year-old Barkley tore his ACL last year during the Giants Week 2 loss to the Chicago Bears. He underwent surgery nearly a month later after the swelling subsided in his knee and has been hard at work to author what he hopes will be the one greatest comeback stories from injury ever.

MORE: Giants Training Camp Week 2: Reflections on a Wild and Crazy Week

The Giants have been consistent in their pledge not to rush Barkley back from his injury, preferring to take a long-term view of the running back's health.

“We’re going to have conversations on a daily basis about his rehab and conversations on a weekly basis at times on where we think he is coming up,’’ head coach Joe Judge said last week. “In terms of the timetable, I’m not a doctor. I let the medical team tell me a guy is good to go and put him on the field.

“In terms of a player like Saquon and a timetable coming back, he’s making daily progress. I know it sounds like a broken record, but that’s important for us to see coming off an injury like this. You want to make sure that it’s not push forward and take a step back."

RELATED: New York Giants Training Camp Week 3 Storylines to Watch

Barkley is unlikely to participate in any of the preseason games this summer, and it still remains to be seen how much, if any, work he'll be able to do when the Giants begin their joint practices next week in Cleveland.

Barkley has been a regular sight on the Giants' practice fields this summer, working diligently under the watchful eye of trainers on an empty grass field.

MORE: New York Giants Training Camp Week 2: Risers and Fallers

While there is some uncertainty as to when exactly he'll be ready for regular-season game action, whenever that day does come, the expectation is that Barkley's workload, just as his initial practice load with the team, will be slowly ramped up.