Despite having an X-ray on his shoulder after the New York Giants’ loss to the Jets on Sunday that was just another in a series of the 2-8 team’s disappointments, running back Saquon Barkley plans to keep playing despite all the rumors regarding his status.
“The mindset of sitting me out and resting me for the rest of the season is beyond me,” Barkley said Tuesday via ESPN, which cited a source for the X-ray report. “I do not agree with it, and it won’t happen. I’m going to keep going until I can’t go anymore.”
After six straight losses, the Giants have a bye week to recover before facing the Chicago Bears on the road on Nov. 24. Barkley and his teammates will have a break beginning Thursday before returning Monday. Rumors could fester during that time, so the Pro Bowl running back figured he better address them sooner rather than later.
He finished with a career-low 1 yard on 13 carries against the Jets, lowering his rushing average in four games since returning from a high ankle sprain to 2.6 yards per carry. Overall this season, he has 402 rushing yards on 101 carries (4.0 average) with only two touchdowns.
Barkley isn’t blaming his struggles on his injuries, though.
“What’s not being myself? Yes, I do feel like myself,” Barkley said. “I would love to go for 100 yards every game. I would love to be doing the things I was doing last year. Trust me. I don’t like the fact I was able to have 1 yard against a great team — respect to them — but I feel if you see me get into open space, I was still making people miss.”
Head coach Pat Shurmur also dismissed the idea of shutting down Barkley for the final six games to give him a chance to recover physically during a down season.
“Absolutely not,” Shurmur said Monday.
Barkley, who was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after gaining 2,028 total yards in 2018, figures teams are focusing on him more than ever before.
“The opportunities, I just have to take advantage of the opportunities I get,” Barkley said. “But to say I’m not healthy and this and that, those are just excuses. Everybody is banged up. Everyone is going through something. I’m not going to let that be an excuse for why I’m not having a successful season. The reason why I’m not having a successful season is because I’m not making enough plays for my team. And that’s just it.”
