Giants' Saquon Barkley Discusses Possibly Playing on Ankle Injury: 'It's My Life'

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is focused on returning as soon as possible.

The tailback told reporters that the injury he suffered in Week 2 is a high ankle sprain but was quick to neutralize any thoughts that he may delay a return until he is fully healthy.

"It's my life," Barkley said. "I make the decisions. I love this game and I feel like if it's good to play, go out there and play."

Barkley is coming off of a stellar 2022 season where he had 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and helped lead the Giants to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

He had a contract dispute with the franchise following the season but it was resolved in July. The contract was a one-year deal worth up to $11 million, which didn't provide long-term stability but did give him a solid financial incentive for this season.

With his long-term future in mind, the thought of remaining inactive until he is fully healed would make sense, given another injury would drastically hurt his market following the season.

Barkley's desire to play is something that clearly benefits both parties and getting him back would be huge for this Giants team. New York is 1-2 thus far into the season and is the only team in the NFC East that is currently below .500. Having Barkley return to the lineup will give the team it's top offensive weapon, and that will be crucial to catch the behemoths in the division.