Saquon Barkley will miss several weeks dealing with a high ankle sprain. The star running back and the Giants are leaving no stone unturned making sure he receives the best medical attention available.
On Tuesday, Barkley saw Dr. Martin O’Malley, a team consultant, at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and on Wednesday will have his injury checked out by Dr. Robert Anderson, a foot and ankle specialist who serves as a consultant for the Packers.
This means Barkley will make a visit to Green Bay to see Anderson while his teammates are practicing and preparing for Sunday’s game against the Redskins at MetLife Stadium.
Barkley got his right ankle bent back awkwardly under Buccaneers rookie safety Mike Edwards in the second quarter of a 32-31 comeback victory in Tampa in Daniel Jones’ starting debut. High ankle sprains typically take upward of a month to heal and Barkley is expected to miss six to eight weeks. He is considered to be a quick healer and he was able to overcome ankle issues at Penn State without missing significant time. Barkley had a high sprain to his right ankle as a freshman back in 2015 and ended up missing two games.
The Giants want to make sure every possible option is available to Barkley as he undergoes his rehabilitation. Anderson is a renowned specialist and his opinion is frequently sought by athletes from around the country. He previously worked out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and was a consultant with the Panthers.
Barkley rushed for 120 and 107 yards, respectively, in the first two games this season, losses to the Cowboys and Bills. He was limited to only 10 yards on eight rushing attempts before he was injured in Tampa. He spent the second half on crutches watching from the sideline with a protective boot on his right ankle.
The Giants worked out three running backs on Tuesday, according to ESPN: Fozzy Whitaker, 30, Benny Cunningham, 29, and Zach Zenner, 28. Whitaker was with the Panthers for four seasons when Giants general manager Dave Gettleman was the GM in Carolina.
Down to two able-bodied linebackers, the Giants on Tuesday re-signed Nate Stupar, who played in all 16 games (one start) last season and did not make the final cut-down this summer. Stupar is more of a special-teams contributor than he is a strong option on defense. Linebackers Alec Ogletree (hamstring) and Tae Davis (concussion) were not able to finish the game in Tampa, leaving rookie Ryan Connelly and reserve David Mayo as the only healthy players at the position.
To make room on the roster for Stupar, the Giants released Eric Tomlinson, who was the fifth tight end.
