Giants' Saquon Barkley Opens Training Camp on PUP List amid Knee Injury Recovery

New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley will open training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. 

Fear not, Giants fans—as Pelissero noted, Barkley can be activated "at any time" with such a designation. 

Barkley, 24, saw his 2020 season end just two games in with an ACL tear. Thus far, he hasn't put a timetable on his potential return from the injury.

"I've been asked a lot. I guess that's what the theme of this summer is gonna be, when I'll be back. But no, I don't have an answer, to be honest," he told reporters earlier this week. "I'm not trying to lead it up to it, stuff like that or blow something up. I don't have an answer. It's a fun process, but it's a tough process at the same time. So I'm excited to continue to listen to my body, listen to the trainers, listen to the coaches, and just take it day by day."

Having Barkley back for the start of the season would obviously be ideal for the Giants, health pending. He was a force to be reckoned with in his 2018 rookie season, rushing for 1,307 yards and 11 scores while adding 91 receptions for 721 yards and another four touchdowns. 

He didn't replicate that level of performance in 2019, as injuries limited him to 13 games and 1,003 rushing yards, 52 catches for 438 yards and eight total touchdowns. 

But when healthy, Barkley is one of the dynamic playmakers in football, and his growth—alongside quarterback Daniel Jones—is one of the keys for the Giants as they try to turn their young talent into a genuine contender. 

At the very least, the NFC East is wide open heading into the 2021 campaign. If the Giants are going to take that leap, it will require Barkley in the backfield at 100 percent.