Giants RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) likely out until Week 9 vs. Raiders

Saquon Barkley will miss his second straight game Sunday when the New York Giants (1-5) host the Carolina Panthers (3-3). Next week, it’s expected the former No. 2 overall pick will miss his third game in a row.

Barkley’s ankle injury will likely keep him out of New York’s Week 8 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday on NFL GameDay Morning that Barkley has an “outside chance” of taking part in that Monday night matchup.

It’s more likely that the star running back will return from his sprained ankle for the Giants’ Week 9 game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 7, Rapoport added.

Barkley suffered his latest lower body injury in a Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and missed New York’s ensuing blowout defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. Before the injury, Barkley had tallied 325 total yards and three scores on 68 total touches.

Devontae Booker and Elijhaa Penny will continue to carry the load for Big Blue with Barkley out. The two combined for 20 touches, 85 total yards and a TD last week.

Barkley missed three weeks in 2019 with an ankle sprain and suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season. The league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, Barkley has not played a full slate of games since that star-making campaign.

If Saquon sits out Week 8, he’ll have missed 17 of his last 22 potential games due to injury.

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