Saquon Barkley has already drawn numerous comparisons to Barry Sanders in his young NFL career, from his rushing style to the pair’s early-career production. Now, the two share a more undesirable bond in the form of a frustrating knee injury.
Barkley suffered a torn ACL back in September, ending his season after opening his Giants career with two straight 1,000-yard campaigns. Sanders, who was on with Moose and Maggie on Tuesday afternoon, offered some advice to Barkley, who Sanders heralded as “one of the guys who has that potential for all-time greatness” following Barkley’s dominant rookie season.
“I had a knee injury earlier in my career,” Sanders said. “It wasn’t a complete tear, but I had to miss quite a few games. It’s a reality check. You just really have to go back to the drawing board and come back working as hard as ever.”
Sanders suffered a partial MCL tear during the 1993 season, his fifth year in the league. It would be the only year when Sanders played less than 15 games, and the injury came against the Chicago Bears, the same team the Giants were playing when Barkley suffered his injury in Week 2 of this season.
Sanders missed five games in ’93 but came back to rush for a league-high 1,883 yards in 1994. Barkley will have a tougher road back due to the severity of his injury, but Sanders hopes Barkley can return with a newfound appreciation for the sport.
“It’s a reality check because it shows you how fast the game can take it from you,” Sanders said of Barkley’s injury. “You really have to appreciate every time you step on the field.”
Sanders hasn’t let Barkley’s injury lessen the Hall of Famer’s view on the running back that has often been compared to him, including being called “Barry Sanders 2.0.”
“I admire Saquon,” Sanders said. “I admire his talent and just what he’s done in his short career. The guy’s a special talent.”
Barkley is on track to be ready for the start of next season, having had surgery to repair his torn ACL on Oct. 30.
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