ALLEN PARK, Mich. — As it turns out, Saquon Barkley is not infallible.
The rookie running back Thursday spoke for the first time about his left hamstring injury and expressed regret he did not do more to prevent it from happening.
“Something like this happens and you have so much time to reflect, so you reflect on things you could have done differently,” Barkley said after again sitting out of a joint practice with the Lions. “I probably could have done everything differently, a little more of this, a little more of that. Continue to grow and be a vet in that area and be a pro.”
This should be made clear: The Giants are not being overly cautious with Barkley, who will not play in Friday night’s preseason game against the Lions at Ford Field. Barkley is hurt. Barkley called it a “strain,” the Giants said it is “mild” and coach Pat Shurmur continues to call the hamstring “tweaked.” Whatever the label, he is injured. On Thursday, Barkley did some light straight-ahead running and caught passes off the Jugs machine.
“My hamstring might be hurt, but that’s not going to stop my hands, not stop my arms, or even really I can do stuff with my hamstring whether it’s in the weight room or extra stuff in therapy or treatment,” Barkley said. “Catching balls, being locked into plays, even though I’m not able to practice, I’m not going to let this be a negative setback. I’m going to let it be a positive and continue to grow from it and be a better player from it.”
When he gets in another game remains to be seen. It is certainly possible the full extent of Barkley’s work in the preseason will be the five rushing attempts for 43 yards he produced against the Browns, highlighted by a 39-yard burst the first time he touched the ball. This past Monday, he made a spectacular catch in practice off a wheel route down the left sideline, extending himself to make a fingertip grab. That is when he hurt his hamstring.
“I wasn’t scared because I knew it wasn’t nothing crazy,” Barkley said. “I just felt frustrated because a lot of those things are preventative and it’s about taking care of your body and treating your body. Make sure you are hydrated and stuff. I thought I was doing all of those things right, but this just shows you that even when you think you’re doing enough, you have to find a way to do more.”
Shurmur, pre-hamstring issue, actually reduced Barkley’s workload, admitting the rookie was so advanced he did not need repeated reps because he was catching on so quickly. Now, Barkley will not get on the field for days and weeks. Other than the work he did with trainers off on the side, Barkley was an observer as his teammates ratcheted up the competition going against the Lions.
Did this amount to a waste of time for Barkley?
“Not at all,” Shurmur said. “Anything you see you can learn from. This isn’t the first time a guy tweaked a hamstring.”
The last time he missed time with an injury was his 2015 freshman year at Penn State, when a sprained ankle sidelined him for two games. If this game were a playoff game, and not preseason game No. 2, could Barkley make it to the field? He did not say yes.
“Umm … to be completely honest, as a competitor, I would find a way,” Barkley said. “I mean, I want to play.”
This is the first time Barkley has had an issue with a hamstring. There is certainly a chance he will not take a handoff or get hit until the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the Jaguars. If so, the question is this: Will it hurt him not to get any game-reps before then?
“I think a lot of people would say yeah and obviously I’m going to say yeah,” he said. “I’m a student of the game and any time you take more reps in a game, it’s going to prepare you more. But I do think we do a great job here, whether we’re going against the Lions or going against our defense, getting really good game looks.”
This is not the way Barkley envisioned his first NFL summer going.
“It’s a little frustrating to watch your guys be out there and not be able to compete with them,” he said. “But you have to trust the team, the coaching staff, the trainers and the strength staff, they have a great plan in place and they’re doing the best they can to get me back as quick as possible.”
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