NEW YORK — Saquon Barkley said he didn’t speak to the media on Sunday or Monday after the Giants’ loss to the Eagles because of “the timing.”
“I’m pretty sure you guys got in contact with our media team, just the timing of after the game with treatment and everything. Wouldn’t have aligned, " Barkley said after sitting out Wednesday’s practice for maintenance on his left ankle. “[It was] kind of a similar situation to what happened earlier in the year with a [game against] Washington, as you would know.
“The next day [Monday], timing wasn’t gonna happen again,” he added, “and I kinda know that you guys would be able to talk to me Wednesday, so here I am, guys.”
Barkley’s postgame absence in Philly was described as nothing out of the ordinary by the Giants’ media team. It was normal treatment and the buses’ imminent departure. Devontae Booker was the only non-QB to speak for the offense after its horrendous performance.
Head coach Joe Judge said he doesn’t “pay a lot of attention” to which players are requested after games. He noted Barkley “was with the trainers for a good amount of time” postgame but also called it his “normal treatment.”
When Judge was pressed on the rule that every player is supposed to be available after every game, he said: “I’ll make sure [senior VP of communications] Pat [Hanlon] addresses that and we’ll see if there’s anything that needs to be adjusted based on league policy.”
Barkley then appeared on a Zoom video call Wednesday.
The Giants’ running back gave a terse answer when asked if he has thought about shutting it down the last two weeks to preserve his ankle.
“No,” he said.
He also said he hasn’t thought about whether this could be his final two games as a Giant.
“No, I don’t,” he said. “I can’t control those things. I can’t control those. I can’t have that thought process.”
On Sunday, Barkley will return to Chicago’s Soldier Field, where he tore his right ACL in Week 2 of last season.
But he said: “I’m not thinking like, ‘I hate the field.’ I’m excited that I’m healthy enough to be able to go out there and be able to play another game.”
