After two injury-riddled seasons, the New York Giants’ running back Saquon Barkley has been on a tear to start the 2022 season. He is looking again like the Pro Bowl player he was in his rookie season, and the 2018’s second overall pick isn’t afraid to say that out loud.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Barkley said that he rediscovered his confidence and feels he’s returning to the best version of himself.
“Yeah, not to be arrogant, but when you see plays like when I went back and watched film on the touchdown run I had on Monday, making that jump cut inside a hole, making those two guys miss and finding a way to score, those are plays where it just puts a smile on your face when you’re like, ‘That is the guy I know,’” Barkley said.
Barkley is currently second in league with 317 rushing yards on 6.0 yards per carry. He also had two touchdowns on the ground while coming up with 13 catches for 91 receiving yards. The 25-year-old’s stellar performances have been one of the main reasons behind the Giants’ 2-1 start of the campaign.
“You’re going to have your ups and downs in life, but you have to find a way not to waver and trust yourself,” Barkley added. “Continue to trust the process and find belief in yourself again. I feel like I’m starting to do that.”
Saquon Barkley lit the league on fire in his first season, rushing for 1,307 yards and 11 scores while also catching 91 passes for 721 yards and 4 TDs. After a solid sophomore campaign, in which he rushed for 1,003 yards, Barkley managed to only play two games in 2020 before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Upon his return to action in 2021, Barkley noticeably struggled. He only had 593 yards rushing on 3.8 yards per carry and scored just two touchdowns. But this now appears to be an outlier since Barkley is once again putting fear into the opposition’s defenses.
