New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley is completely healthy as he enters his fifth season in the NFL, which is a good thing.
Barkley came into last season working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered in 2020. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year had a down year in 2021. He rushed for 593 yards, with only two touchdowns on the ground. He added 41 catches and two touchdown receptions.
It was a struggle for Barkley, and he feels he has a lot to prove.
“I feel like I’ve got a lot to prove,” he said following the second day of voluntary mini-camp Wednesday. “I feel like there’s a lot of guys in the running back room, the wide receiver room, the quarterback room, who’ve got a lot to prove. We’re very talented. We believe in each other, and we believe in the system that’s in place.”
The 2018 Pro Bowler’s play was heavily criticized, and he acknowledged on Wednesday that he was bothered by what has been written about him.
“My mindset from just the last two years, to be honest, I kind of just want to kill, go crazy,” he said. “I’m not even focused on that,” Barkley said. “The best thing that I can do is just focus on what I can control. That’s showing up, being healthy, going out there at OTAs, camp, and in season and performing, work hard, keep my mind right, study the playbook.”
The Giants have lost 10 games or more in the last five years, so it’s been a struggle, but the 25-year-old Barkley, the subject of trade talks, has no desire to leave New York. In fact, playing at MetLife Stadium is a dream come true.
“I don’t want to look back on my career and say, ‘Dang, when I was in New York with the Giants, I was part of the down years,'” he said. “I know the talent we have in our locker room. I know what we’re able to do as a team. We’ve just got to continue to stick to the little things, continue to buy-in and continue to believe in each other. To be honest, when I was a kid, I was a Jets fan. I used to drive to New York and pass the stadium, the old stadium. I always told my dad I wanted to play in that stadium. I’m playing in MetLife; obviously, I’m playing for the Giants. Something I wanted to do as a kid. I want to be special here.”
Barkley, who can be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, has not always had the luxury of a great offensive line during his time in New York. However, he’s still young, a new coach in Brian Daboll, and a lot of ability, but he is right; in the end, he does have a lot to prove in 2022.
