During his 11-year NFL career, Chris Long was teammates with Aaron Donald, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Fletcher Cox and Jason Peters, so when he's amazed by someone's talent, you take notice.
Long appeared on the latest episode of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, and when Jimmy Traina called into question Saquon Barkley's star status because of injuries and an inconsistent second season, Long stopped him in his tracks.
"The guy is f****** good, though, by the way," Long said. "Like, [he's] one of the best things that I've ever seen."
2020 was essentially a lost season for Barkley, who tore his right ACL in Week 2. That came after a 2019 campaign where he was limited to 13 games because of a high-ankle sprain, and perhaps wasn't at 100% in all the games he played in. Barkley still ran for 1,003 yards and hauled in over 50 passes, but it was a disappointing sophomore season when compared to what he did as a rookie.
After being selected out of Penn State with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Barkley averaged five yards a carry in his rookie season, rushing for 1,307 yards. He also caught 91 passes for 721 yards. Barkley had 15 total touchdowns in his rookie season, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Quite simply, his rookie season made you wonder if he had a chance to be one of the five greatest running backs in NFL history. We haven't seen that version of Barkley consistently since his rookie season, in large part because he hasn't been able to stay on the field.
If Barkley returns from his injury and is a top five running back in 2021, the Giants will have an excellent chance at winning the NFC East. It's a crucial year for Daniel Jones at quarterback, with Barkley returning and Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney now at his disposal at wide receiver.
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