Saquon Barkley visited with a specialist this week for a second opinion on his injured ankle, and it does not sound like the star running back will be going under the knife.
Barkley was told by specialist Dr. Robert Anderson that he does not need surgery to repair the high-ankle sprain he suffered during last week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.
#Giants star RB Saquon Barkley (high-ankle sprain) returned from his visit with noted specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay with a recommendation of no surgery, source said. The option of tightrope surgery — a la #Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa — had been one option.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 26, 2019
As Rapoport notes, one option that was mentioned for Barkley was a tightrope surgery. High-ankle sprains typically require at least six to eight weeks to fully heal, but tightrope surgery can accelerate that timeline. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa underwent the procedure after suffering an ankle sprain in the SEC Championship Game last year, and it allowed him to return to practice in just two weeks.
Barkley said he suffered a similar injury while in college at Penn State, and he is confident he won’t be out long. However, the sprain looked pretty severe when it happened, and it’s possible he could miss up to two months. Rookie Daniel Jones may need to be even more heroic than he was in last week’s comeback win if the New York Giants want to overcome the loss of their most dynamic offensive player.
