Devonta Freeman was at a hotel in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon, watching the Eagles/Rams game on TV, when he saw the news scroll across the bottom of the screen: Giants running back Saquon Barkley was carted off the field in Chicago with what appeared to be a potentially severe knee injury.
Little did he know that 72 hours later, he would officially be Saquon’s replacement in the Big Blue backfield.
“There’s a lot of ball left and games to be played, and I’m fortunate and blessed to be on this team. It’s a young team, and I’m happy about the opportunity,” Freeman said in his introductory Zoom call on Thursday. “There’s a lot of growth potential for this team and myself, and I’m here to contribute as much as I can and do what I can do to help out.”
Freeman, who was cut by the Falcons after last season, is just 28 years old, although he may seem ancient by running back standards given that this will be his seventh season in the league. He looked like a budding superstar in his first two seasons as the Falcons’ top back – more than 1,500 all-purpose yards in both 2015 and 2016, led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (11) and all-purpose touchdowns (14) in 2015, two Pro Bowls – but the last three haven’t been as kind.
A down season in 2017, a 2018 lost to injury, and another down year while dealing with maladies last season led to concerns that he was “done,” but he’s learned from guys like Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore that age is just a number, and “done” is a state of mind.
"You can be as young as you want to be. I've seen guys do it around this league for a very long time,” he said. “I'm just copying those guys and adding to my game plan."
Since being cut by Atlanta, Freeman has had plenty of visits with teams (including Philly, reportedly last week, which would explain his presence there) and chances to hook on, but didn’t find a fit that was right until now.
“I understand the game, and understand business decisions are made,” he said of his Atlanta departure, adding this about his offseason: “A lot of situations didn't fit me and what I want to do and some of my personal goals. I know I still have a lot left in the tank and I just want to go out and play football and have fun."
The Giants, despite being 0-2, seem to fit those goals, as Freeman looks like he’ll be the lead back once he’s up to speed – which, he admits, isn’t going to be immediate.
“I know I am in shape, I just have to continue to get in game shape and football shape,” he said. “There is definitely a difference."
Freeman isn’t looking big-picture right away, but he certainly has a lofty goal in mind for his new team.
“One play, one quarter, one game at a time…going to try to win one game at a time, and stay healthy,” he said. “When it's all said and done, hopefully we win the big game, but that’s down the road.”
And game shape, playbook knowledge, and any other hurdles aside, that starts this Sunday.
“I’m here to do whatever I can, whatever I am asked to do to try to take advantage of my opportunity,” he said. “Any opportunity I get I want to contribute. It doesn't matter about the snaps."
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch