Saquon Barkley Has 'No Target Date in Mind' for Return to Giants from Injury

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley said Thursday he has "no target date in mind" for returning from a torn ACL suffered during the team's Week 2 loss to the Chicago Bears in September.

Barkley added there's "no doubt" in his mind he'll be just as effective, if not more so, whenever he returns to the Giants lineup.

"That's the mindset. I feel like you should never go into a negative approach," he told reporters. "I don't think—I know that I'll be able to come back and be a better player. That's what I'm going to challenge myself with."

Barkley was ruled out for the remainder of the 2020 season after the torn ACL was confirmed. Players who suffer the serious knee injury early in the campaign can typically return sometime the following year, but everybody's recovery timetable is a little different.

The injury represented a massive setback for a Giants offense that was expected to take a major leap forward this year.

Between Barkley, who topped 1,400 yards from scrimmage each of his first two seasons, and quarterback Daniel Jones' promising signs late in his 2019 rookie season, New York seemingly had the foundation to make some serious noise.

Instead, the Giants have used an uninspiring backfield committee that's included Wayne Gallman, Devonta Freeman, Alfred Morris and Dion Lewis, while Jones hasn't showcased any serious progress en route to a lackluster 78.7 passer rating through 11 appearances.

New York sits atop the NFC East despite its 4-7 record, but it ranks 29th in total offense and can't realistically be viewed as a championship threat even if the historically weak division leads to a playoff berth.

Meanwhile, Barkley was one of the NFL's most explosive playmakers before the injury, and the biggest question will be whether he can return to that level in 2021 or beyond.

He received immediate support from Adrian Peterson, who suffered a torn ACL with the Minnesota Vikings in 2011 before coming back to win the MVP award the following year:

In November, an NFL general manager told ESPN's Jordan Raanan he expects something similar from Barkley.

"He is [an] Adrian Peterson-like [marvel]," the GM said.

Barkley has the potential to write his own dominant comeback story, but the Giants will probably play it safe with their standout rusher heading into next season until he's back to full strength.