Giants Rumors: Saquon Barkley 'Has an Outside Chance' for Week 8; 'Likely' for Week 9

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has an "outside chance" of playing next week versus the Kansas City Chiefs but is more likely to return for Week 9 versus the Las Vegas Raiders, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

The 24-year-old was limited to two games in 2020 after suffering a torn right ACL. As his recovery dragged on throughout the offseason, his availability for the start of 2021 was up in the air.

Barkley was ultimately on the field for New York in its season opener versus the Denver Broncos, but it wasn't long before his health was once again a concern. He rolled his left ankle in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys and was carted back to the locker room:

Prior to the ankle injury, the Penn State product wasn't the same running back who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage as a rookie, either. Through his first four appearances, he had run for 186 yards and two touchdowns while catching 14 passes for 130 yards and one score.

The Giants have already picked up Barkley's $7.2 million option for 2022, but his future beyond that looks a bit cloudy. In the short term, the 1-5 Giants will turn to Devontae Booker versus the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.