Report: Giants' Saquon Barkley to Undergo Surgery on Torn ACL Injury Next Week

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is reportedly set to undergo ACL reconstruction surgery next week.

According to NFL reporter Andrea Kremer, ACL surgery was delayed until Barkley's MCL injury healed. She added that doctors are hopeful he will be ready for training camp next year.

Barkley suffered the season-ending injury in the Giants' 17-13 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 2.

Prior to getting injured, Barkley rushed 19 times for 34 yards and caught six passes for 60 yards. While he wasn't off to a great start, New York's running game has struggled without him, as the Giants rank 26th in the NFL with 98.1 rushing yards per game.

Barkley burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2018, rushing for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching 91 passes for 721 yards and four additional scores. That production earned him the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Last season was more of a struggle for Barkley as he missed three games with a high ankle sprain. Even so, he rushed for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns, along with 52 receptions for 438 yards and two touchdowns.

Barkley was expected to be the focal point of the Giants offense in 2020, but with him on the shelf, head coach Joe Judge and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett have leaned on second-year quarterback Daniel Jones.

The results haven't been great, as the Giants are in last place in the NFC East at 1-6.

That said, they aren't far behind the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles, who are just 2-4-1. If the Giants had a healthy Barkley, that margin could be smaller or even nonexistent.

While Barkley's 2020 campaign is over, next season could be huge for him since it is the last year of his rookie contract.

The Giants are likely to exercise the fifth-year option in his contract to keep him through at least 2022, but his performance and ability to stay healthy in 2021 may play a big role in whether New York signs him to a long-term extension.